The Promise Rings
by Princess of the Knight
Summary: After a emotional parting, Cloud Strife leaves his girlfriend to join the military. After years of no contact, Cloud and Aerith move on. Yet, as fate would have it the two meet again but will love return or are promises meant to be broken? CxA and ZxT
1. This I Promise

**Disclaimer- I do not own Final Fantasy**

**The Promise Rings**

**Chapter 1- This I Promise **

"So you're leaving then?" Aerith asked.

The question was obvious and even pointless to ask. Of course, he was leaving. He was packing his suitcase as she spoke. Sixteen-year-old Aerith Gainsborough watched as her boyfriend, Cloud Strife busily packed his belongings. She crossed her arms, looking down at the floor in the process. Cloud looked up at Aerith and sighed. He hated the sight of her being depressed.

He stopped his packing, which was less than neat. He rounded his bed and came up to the girl. Despite the fact, Aerith was older than Cloud he towered over his shorter, petite girlfriend. He grasped her shoulders but she could not bring her eyes to him. He took her chin gently with his fingers. He tilted her chin up but her eyes remained averted.

"Look at me," he pleaded.

She concurred. Emerald orbs looked dismally at him. His fingers stroked her cheek in a loving manner, making them flush in the process. A smile tugged at her lips, one she could never hide when he was gentle with her.

"I'm going to start my training tomorrow." He said. "I'm going to become strong for me, for you."

"You're strong enough," she resisted, moving away. "You won't be back for months, maybe even a whole year."

She flopped down on his twin bed, pushing his suitcase away from her. She wanted to tear his clothing from inside the suitcase and place them back in his drawers or closet. He was leaving to become a SOLDIER in some sort of military thing that Aerith did not quite understand nor did she want to. Then again, who would want their significant other leaving them for a long period?

Her fists claimed his bedding, clutching them tightly. She glared at the floor not wanting to cry and wanting to wish him well. It was so unlike her to get upset like this but after being with Cloud for three years; she thought they were serious. Of course being thirteen when they started dating, seemed more like puppy love for her but it grew.

At first, Cloud was not even talkative to her. He was very quiet and shy. Gradually he came out of his shell and the two began to date. Their relationship was slow pace. They did not even have their first kiss until several months after they started dating. Of course, Aerith was a modest young woman and Cloud well he was Cloud. It was how they were and it worked.

Cloud found a seat next to her, and stared at her pink summer dress. Cloud had seen Aerith dawn many different color clothing but he had to admit he loved her pink. He liked how beautiful she looked because she wore hardly any make up at all. Yet, most of all he loved her gentle, caring spirit.

"I'll miss you," she admitted sadly. "You won't even be here for my birthday, will you?"

"I'm sorry… I don't even have a gift for you." He frowned. "I didn't want to borrow any money from mom either. She has enough trouble as is."

"I don't want a gift! I want you!"

Cloud sighed and pulled his girlfriend into his arms. He placed a kiss on her forehead before she buried her face in his neck. It was the worst feeling he had in a long time. He felt horrible by doing this to his girlfriend.

"I'll write to you when I can and call too." He insisted, hoping it would cheer her up.

Aerith lifted her head. "Will you write me everyday and call every night?"

"Uh… how about every month?" he asked trying to sound more reasonable.

"How about you write every week and call me every other day?"

"I'll try I don't know how busy it will be."

He looked at her sincerely. She smiled sadly, leaning her head against him. She placed a kiss on the corner of his mouth. The corner of Cloud's mouth twitched up. He was grateful she understood even if it greatly upset her. He brought his lips to hers and the two briefly kissed. When they broke, Aerith grinned at him and got up. She tugged at his hands, getting him up to his feet.

"Cloud," she began. "Spend the day with me then."

"I have to pack…"

"Pack later; I want to spend your last day with me, please"

Her emerald green eyes beseeched him. Cloud sighed, unable to say no to her. He could never say no to her. She had a way with him that made him succumb to her. He got up, pleasing Aerith. She tugged at his hand jogging out of his room with him in tow. Aerith skipped out the door of Cloud's house, greeted by a warm summer sun, warmth that was ending.

It was the beginning of summer, when Cloud explained to Aerith that he would not be attending school in the fall. At that time, Aerith did not take Cloud seriously. He insisted that he would join the military, like most people she thought Cloud would change his mind. To her chagrin, he did not. She believed the reason he left was because of his poor living condition. No one in their small neighborhood was rich or had money to burn. His mother tried hard to support both of them and he believed if he was not around, she would be able to support herself.

Aerith tried hard to be supportive but it was not easy. She was losing someone she greatly cared for. She held onto his hand tightly as they walked along the dirt road from his house to the town.

Cloud hated the silence between them but he could tell how Aerith felt. He felt the same way. He cared for her beyond any words he could express. He wanted to break the awkward silence and apologize for his rash decision.

"Aerith…" he called her name hesitantly.

"Hey Cloud let's get ice cream!" Aerith interrupted.

She pointed to an old ice cream shop not to far for them. She let go of Cloud's hand and rushed to the shop. Cloud frowned slightly. He would apologize after ice cream.

He caught up to Aerith who already ordered for the two of them. The two had many small dates throughout the summer here, eating ice cream and chatting. However, Aerith did most of the chatting. She turned around after she finished paying to hold out a stick of ice cream that was a pasty blue color. She knew his favorite flavor by heart. He never got anything different. Aerith on the other hand liked changes and always got a different one. Yet, today she was holding the same flavor ice cream that was Cloud's favorite. She handed one to Cloud, a smile on her face.

"My treat," She insisted.

The two ate ice cream in silence. When they finished they disposed of the sticks in a trash can and walked away. Aerith took her boyfriend's hand again as they walked down the familiar road. Their town was small; it would only take twenty minutes to walk from one side to another.

Cloud sucked in a sharp breath. Aerith was observing everything around her like a child. As Aerith marveled, Cloud decided now he would apologize. For some reason he felt if he did not, he thought of Aerith crying in her room and cursing him.

"Aerith…" he said.

"Oh Cloud let's go to the market!" Aerith exclaimed. "There are end of summer sales and I was thinking about looking for a new dress for school."

"Er… sure." He said, unsure.

The two came to market in the middle of their tiny town. It was small and most of the shops were small as well. During the summer, most of the stores had stalls outside. Aerith dragged Cloud reluctantly around. He never liked shopping. Yet, he went because he liked Aerith. He assumed whenever she went to his sparring matches with his friends, Aerith watched because she liked him too. She was always supporting him and doing things he liked. He wanted to support and be with her too, even if it was with something lame as shopping.

The two looked around at the clothing. All the summer clothes were now cheap to make room for the upcoming seasons. Aerith browsed through many stalls, Cloud only followed because Aerith was dragging him. Just then, Aerith saw a small stall in front of a toyshop with a man ringing a bell. Children were gathered around, all waiting in line to get to the front.

"I wonder what's going on," Aerith said curiously.

Cloud was staring off into space.

She dragged him along and stood over the crowd to see the shopkeeper letting kids pick out objects from a box. The objects were all egged shaped and opened to reveal a prize inside. Most of the prizes were plastic jewelry, bouncy balls, toy figures, or something along those lines.

As the kids dispersed, the shopkeeper smiled at Aerith. Everyone in the tiny town knew everyone. Aerith moved forward with Cloud in tow.

"It's nice of you to give out free gifts."

"Leftovers," the shopkeeper insisted. "I have to get rid of them somehow. It's nothing Aerith, really."

"I still think it is very nice."

"How about you and Cloud take one, Aerith? I still have plenty."

Aerith smiled. "Sound like fun, right Cloud?"

Upon hearing his name, Cloud woke up from his daze. He looked between Aerith and the shopkeeper. Seeing his confusion, Aerith giggled. He then noticed Aerith holding a yellow egg in her hand.

"Come on Cloud, take one!"

Cloud stared at her. "Aerith… we're too old."

His face was red with embarrassment. If one of his friends walked by and saw him holding a child's toy, he would NEVER hear the end of it. Well, he would when he left for the military.

"Oh come on it's only for fun, please?"

Cloud could not say no when she said please. The way she said it make it hard to refuse. Relenting, he reached into the box and pulled out a green egg. He was thankful it was not a bright pink one. Aerith thanked the shopkeeper and the two walked away. Cloud lowered his eyes, hoping no one some him do something so childish because of his girlfriend's whims.

Now that they left the marketplace, Cloud really wanted to tell her how he felt. They were alone too, which is what he wanted.

"Aerith I…" he began again.

"Oh! Cloud let's go to the park!" Aerith interrupted yet again.

She pointed to the small park where many of the town's festivals were held. She let go of his hand and jogged ahead of him. It was another place where they went on dates. The strolls through the park were quiet and romantic. Yet, despite that, Cloud began to wonder if she was avoiding him.

"Aerith… I'm sorry," Cloud muttered.

Cloud ran after her as she headed down one of the paths that led to the small pond in the woods. He stared after her figure, which was still a good distance away. Cloud frowned. It was late. He needed to return home and pack and he really wanted to apologize to her.

"Aerith, I have to get home!" he called out to her.

She did not respond. Cloud wondered if she even heard him. Letting out a sigh, he began to jog after her. Aerith peered over her shoulder, seeing him pick up the pace. Instead of waiting for him to catch up, she hurried her own pace, zigzagging between the trees.

Cloud watched her move quickly through the woods. He called out to her several times but she never slowed her pace or acknowledged him. The boyfriend began to worry, his suspicions confirmed. She was avoiding him, or at least avoiding the problem between them, which was unlike her. Whenever the two argued or had a fight, he was the one who avoided Aerith, unsure how she would take it. Now it was as if their roles reversed.

His girlfriend dodged behind a tree, heading off in an entirely different direction than Cloud initially anticipated. Now Cloud knew what she was doing was on purpose. She knew he had to go home and pack. He should have known she would have done anything to get him to stay, even something childish as this. He was not upset with her, how could he? She loved him and she would not be seeing him everyday and have little to no contact.

Cloud veered off his path, needing to cut her off. He knew chasing her like this he would never catch her. He was fast, faster than her but Aerith was being tricky. She kept changing paths, ducking behind trees, making him backtrack and even lose her shortly. It was not hard to spot when she began to run again, pink stood out well in a green and brown surrounding.

Aerith sucked in a deep breath as she turned around to see where Cloud was. Yet, she discovered that now he was no longer chasing her. Aerith stopped, looking to her sides. Cloud's dark clothes camouflaged him well, not to mention he was always good at not being found when he did not want to be. The young girl felt like prey to an animal. Without thinking, she ran through the trees, knowing very well that Cloud was going to get close to her before she would see him again. She did not want to be caught.

She ran until she skidded to a halt, nearly running down a very steep hill. She looked down and saw the pond where she at first wanted to go. Now, she wanted to go anywhere that was not obvious place Cloud would look. She turned around realizing going down that hill would not be safe. Yet, when she turned, she collided into something. It felt hard like a wall. Looking up she saw her boyfriend with a slight look of annoyance on his face.

"Stop running from me." He breathed, trying to catch his breath.

Aerith took a step back, forgetting completely that her flat ground was gone. With no footing to support her, Aerith screamed finding her body falling back. Cloud's eyes widened as her body fell backwards. Without thinking, Cloud leapt after her, catching her into his arms but he too went tumbling down the hill. He clutched his girlfriend to him, holding the back of her head to him as they rolled down the hill.

The grassy knoll was surprisingly slick, sending the two toward the pond. Aerith cried but Cloud used one of his hands, dragging it along the ground slowing their decent. When they finally stopped, Cloud opened his eyes wider to see that his feet were hovering over the pond. He was thankful he did not go for a swim. He looked down at his girlfriend, who was clutching him tightly, his hand still protecting her head.

"We stopped," Cloud muttered.

Aerith opened her eyes. "You saved me."

"I… would never let anything happen to you." He admitted.

She sat up and Cloud pushed himself up into a sitting position. The two looked at each other and Aerith suddenly began laughing. Cloud looked confusingly at her when she pulled off a tuff of grass from his hair. She tried to stop from laughing but her contagious laugh made Cloud laugh. When they calmed down, Cloud felt finally that he could say he was sorry.

"Aerith…"

"Cloud let's go for a swim." Aerith interrupted yet again.

Cloud sighed. She timed this so well. "Aerith we don't have swimsuits and I really need to tell you something."

"We can swim in our clothes!" she said frantically.

Aerith jumped up, ready to dive into the pond when Cloud grabbed her wrist. He pulled her back down to him. Aerith pushed him away.

"NO! I want to go swimming now!"

"Stop avoiding me."

"I'm not avoiding you!"

Cloud pulled her into his arms, holding her to him. Aerith began frantically trying to break free from his gentle vice like grip.

"Yes you are."

"No… No I'm not I'm just so hot and it is nice to…"

"Aerith, I'm sorry!"

Aerith stopped. She let her arms drop to her sides. Cloud laid his head on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry…" he whispered.

Aerith lowered her eyes. "I don't want you to go."

Cloud let go. Aerith turned around to look at him. The two stared at each other. Cloud saw the sadness in her eyes, which brought him such pain. He never EVER wanted to hurt his girlfriend like this. Aerith looked away, sitting down next to him. She fiddled with her dress when she felt something in her pocket. She pulled out the yellow egg that she got at the vendor.

Cloud looked at it and then pulled his that buried deep in his pocket. The two looked at each other and then their egg. Perhaps it was time to lighten to the mood.

"Let's open them at the same time?" She asked.

Cloud nodded and together the two popped the plastic eggs open. The two held up the items that were inside the eggs toward one another. Aerith and Cloud looked at each other's item, surprisingly each of them were now holding a plastic ring. Cloud held a silver colored ring with a flower on the top and a pink jewel in the center. Aerith's ring was in the shape of an animal, a wolf.

The two looked at each other and laughed again. Aerith's ring was a boys ring while Cloud's was a girl's ring. Without thinking, Cloud stood up, pulling Aerith up at the same time. The young girl looked surprised but then Cloud got down on one knee. He took her left hand into his hand, looking into her eyes.

"Aerith, will you marry me?" he asked.

Aerith burst out into giggles. She spread her fingers out so Cloud could put the ring on her finger.

"Yes, I accept!"

Cloud slipped the ring on her finger easily. He stood up again. Aerith admired the ring as if it was an actual engagement ring. Aerith then took Cloud's left hand and got down on one knee.

"Cloud will you marry me?"

"Do I have to wear that ring?" he questioned.

Aerith got up with a scowl on her face. She playfully slapped him but Cloud simply smiled, took the ring, and after some force, slid the ring on his finger. Aerith sat back down on the grass looking at her ring. Cloud joined her. He was grateful no one would see him wearing something so gaudy and childish.

"Cloud," Aerith asked softly. "Do you think… we could get married for real?"

Cloud gulped causing Aerith to grimace.

"Aerith we're not going to elope I'm too young to be a husband. I can't even afford an actual ring."

"I like this ring just fine."

"Aerith, I can't marry you."

Aerith glared at him, "Oh so you don't want to marry me?"

"NO! That's not it at all," Cloud groaned. "Aerith if you're doing this because I'm leaving it's not making it any easier. I want to stay but my mom can hardly support both of us."

"I'm sorry… I know it is selfish but I don't want you to go. It's not fair. I don't even know if I'll get to hear your voice or see you for months or years. It's just not fair."

Cloud sighed, staring at the ground. "Aerith… if you find someone else… I'll understand… I'm not a good boyfriend. I'm sure someone else would take care of you better than I could."

Cloud received a sharp slap to his shoulder, causing him to wince. He looked up to see his girlfriend glaring at him fiercely.

"Don't you dare belittle yourself! I do not want another boyfriend. The only person I want is you even if I have to wait a hundred years for you to come back to me!"

Cloud smiled. He lifted her left hand. "How about we make this a promise ring instead of an engagement ring? I promise to marry you when I can afford a real ring."

Aerith let out a gasp, her cheeks becoming pink. Quickly nodding, she then pointed to his ring. "Then that ring will be a promise ring too. It's a promise that I'll wait for you until you come back to me."

Cloud agreed. The two smiled but it only lasted for a brief moment. The sky was becoming dark and the look in Cloud's eyes made his girlfriend know that they would have to part. He needed to finish packing as soon as he got home.

Reluctantly, tears flowed from her eyes. She wanted to forget that he was leaving. Aerith stared at the setting sun and knew the next time she would see it, she would cry again. She wished, tomorrow would never come.

"I love you." Aerith whispered.

"I love you, too," he whispered back.

Cloud touched her hand and held it tightly. He had said it before to her and she said it to him. Yet, now it seemed so much more. It meant more and that was why it was so heartbreaking. He pulled Aerith to him, easily lifting her onto his lap. He held her tightly and she bent her head to cry on his shoulder.

When she looked up at him a few moments later the two kissed. They kissed many times before. Yet, something was different about this kiss. When the two broke apart, Aerith felt her cheeks burning and wanted to turn away from her boyfriend. Normally, it was Cloud who was always turning away from her, but now she found herself lowering eyes.

Cloud's hand traveled up her arm to her neck. His fingers massaged the side while thumb moved under her chin. He pushed her head up slightly, returning her gaze to him. Aerith's cheeks were blushing red. Aerith looked at Cloud and saw the same red on his own cheeks.

"W-why are you so nervous?" she muttered.

"Why are you?" he asked more calm than her.

Maybe it was the anguish of their departure that made their kiss send flames along their skin. Whatever it was it meant more than all the other kisses they had shared. It was hot and passionate. It made electricity between them. Aerith felt a tingle go down her back resting at the base of her spine. Cloud brought his hand to her braid and slowly began to undo the strands.

"Wha- Cloud what are you doing?"

"I always said you looked pretty with your hair down." He whispered.

With her hair free of its constraints, Cloud found his girlfriend looking beautiful. His hand ran through her hair, crushing the silk tresses in his hand. The boyfriend leaned forward kissing her forehead, brushing his lips over her temples. His hand tangled in her mass of brown locks. Aerith shivered under his kisses, feeling electricity flow through her like a wave. Cloud's other hand was skimming over her hip. It brushed along her soft curves, until it slid along her arm. Cloud placed her arms around him, wanting to be in her embrace. It returned her hip, holding her to him.

Aerith gasped softly as his lips found her neck, gently grazing his teeth over her smooth soft skin. She shifted in Cloud's lap, becoming hot all too fast for her liking. She tried to move but Cloud pulled her closer to him. Aerith stumbled, landing against him hard. Cloud grunted softly and kissed her lips enjoying her sweet honey taste.

"Cloud," she moaned against his kiss.

The boyfriend fell back on the ground, bringing her with him. She showered her lover with kisses, knowing each one could be the last one for such a long time. The girlfriend brought her hands up, resting them on his chest, clinging to his shirt tightly. Aerith never wanted to let him go.

She rolled to the side of him. One of her legs laid strait against the ground while the other was bent and resting against his. The hand that had been on her hip traveled down to the smooth satin skin of her creamy thighs. The feel of his feather like touch on her was enough to send her up in flames.

Never in all the times they had been dating had they ever come to such a position. Aerith never even considered it. Yet now it was agonizing, burning her to the core. Her body was doing things that she never imagined. Her mind was in a daze, not even telling her to stop and consider that this was not a proper thing to do. Any thought of what was morally wrong flew out the window with all her beliefs of what a proper girl should do. All she wanted was this feeling with her boyfriend. She wanted his touch, only his, on her skin. She wanted to feel his kisses shower her skin.

Cloud felt the heat between them. Never had he touched his girlfriend in such a way. He had always been so shy. Yet, everything he was doing to her he only wanted to do with her. Her skin was like satin but tasted so sweet that he could drink from her forever, becoming drunk on his love for her. When she rolled to her side and her leg fell against his he mentally groaned at the action. He wanted it to be an invitation and not a tease. When she moaned his name, it made his core burn. He wanted to hear her call his name again in that provocative manner.

He kissed her again on the lips wanting to taste the inside of her mouth. Yet, he was shy still wanting her to invite him. She opened her mouth against his, another one of those seductive sounds escaped and Cloud took advantage. His tongue slipped inside and then quickly retreated, almost embarrassed.

Aerith looked up at him, blushing madly. Cloud tried to avert his eyes from her eyes. His eyes were hungry for her. Yet looking away only proved more tantalizing as he saw her heaving chest, a clear view of cleavage. Her milky legs exposed nicely for him. Aerith brought her hands to his face, gaining his attention. Cloud closed his eyes as Aerith's hand touched his face. She traced his cheekbones, brushed her fingertips around his eyes, and then slid her fingers to his lips. Feeling the fingertips on his lips, he kissed each one with a gentle peck.

Then Aerith kissed him, allowing him his entry to her sweet mouth. Cloud explored it more thorough enjoying each corner of her luscious mouth. She was like a flower and between the _tulips_ was a hidden sweet nectar that he hungered for.

Aerith found her hands sliding up into his spiky blonde locks. She breathed heavily, clinging at his hair. Her body was reacting to every single touch. Cloud pulled away and looked at her. She looked back at him but no words passed them. He laid her on her back and carefully positioned himself so he could support himself over her. He kissed her lips, leaving a trail down her neck to her chest. Aerith body moved up against him, almost as if possessed by her desire, their desire.

"Cloud…" she moaned his name.

Cloud looked up, seeing her breathing becoming rapid. Cloud's hand slid up her thigh touching the material of her dress. He released her momentarily, pulling off his coat and laying it under head gently. She wrapped her arms around him from under his arms, holding onto his back.

He moved his head back down, kissing her shoulder. She pulled him closer, one of her legs sliding up against his. Cloud felt his body pulsate. His clothes seemed tight and his body was burning hotter. Yet, guilt was also there.

"Aerith," he breathed his voice huskier. "I don't want to hurt you."

"I trust you," she whispered definitely. She did not know if he meant emotionally or physically. Yet, she trusted him either way.

Cloud looked down at his girlfriend, his hand sliding over to the buttons on her dress, undoing them one by one.

Aerith awoke in her bed, the morning sun shining through her window beside her bed. She sat up, staring out the window feeling empty and alone. She looked down at the plastic ring on her finger, still in perfect condition since the day she received it, less than two months ago.

She stumbled out of her bed, feeling warmer than usual. Her feet slid across the wooden floors to the bathroom adjacent from her closet door on the opposite side of the room. She walked past her desk covered in her schoolbooks and homework, all in neat piles. A wastepaper basket rested next to it, filled to the brim with crumbled up pieces of papers.

The young girl entered her bathroom, swaying slightly. She felt dizzy and yet she was still incredibly tired as well. She knelt down, closing her eyes. If she fell over, she wanted to be closer to the floor if she fell. After a few minutes, she felt a bit better. Standing at the sink, she splashed some cool water on her face. Feeling better, she returned to her bed hoping to get a bit more sleep.

Yet, as she lay there preparing for more rest, she saw a note pad on her nightstand and a pen lying on top of that. It seemed like a long time since she spoke to Cloud, forever even. She wrote him a letter several weeks ago after her first day of school. She never received a letter back. He was probably too busy anyways. Yet, it seemed like a good time as any to write another letter.

She took the items to her, biting the top of the pen. The paper on the pad was a pastel pink with flowers decorating the bottom right corner. She began thinking, debating what to write. First, she wrote his name neatly, trying her best not to cry. The pen returned to her mouth, as she nervously debated on what to write next. After several minutes she wrote a message on the paper.

_Cloud, _

_How is everything going? I haven't received a letter or a phone call in almost two months. I guess you're busy. I understand but promise that you'll send me a letter as soon as you can. I miss you so much. I already aced my first exam in math. It was pretty tough. Also, my lab partners in chemistry are nice. I think you would like them. They invited me to go out for a night. I said I would think about it. Oh. Mom misses you too! She says I'm a lot quieter since you left, isn't she silly? The other day I saw a wild Chocobo. This one had golden yellow feathers. Don't take this the wrong way but it reminded me of you. Your hair is so spiky and their feathers stick up like yours. Hey, Cloud when you come back lets ride Chocobos together. I think it would be fun. Anyways, I miss you a lot. I can't wait to see you again. Take care of yourself._

_Love always,_

_Aerith_

Aerith stared at the letter. She felt her stomach lurch making her feel sick. She closed her eyes, willing the pain away. Once it was gone, she reread her letter again. Her face fell. Tearing the paper out of the note pad, she crumbled up the letter and threw it along with the other similar papers in the wastebasket. Tears flooded her eyes as she started writing on the next sheet of paper.

_Dear Cloud,_

_I'm pregnant. _

**X, X, X,**

**Author Note- I know, I have stories I need to finish but I really like this idea. It was a spur the moment thing and I hope you enjoyed it. **


	2. This Distant Memory

**Disclaimer- **I do not own Final Fantasy VII

**The Promise Rings**

**Chapter 2- This Distant Memory  
**

Zack Fair waited behind the yellow line on Platform 7 at the Midgar train station. His spiky black locks shifted slightly as a train flew past from the other side, carrying a breeze with it. His blue eyes flickered to the clock hanging above the platform. He shifted to the left and then to the right, hoping to spot a train. A minute or so later, he heard the sound of a train blasting its horn. Zack turned, smiling.

The train screeched to a halt and the doors flew open. Passengers exited the train in groups, eager to get out the door. Zack lifted himself onto his toes to peer over the crowd. His eyes scanned through the mass of browns and jet-black hair that was common. There were several blonde heads bobbing through the crowd but none that interested him. When the crowd began to disperse, Zack's eyes landed on someone in particular.

Stepping out of the train was a man with deep sapphire blue eyes, a lean muscular stature, and outrageous gravity defying spiky blonde hair. He was dressed in black pants and boots, with a navy sleeveless turtleneck. Zack grinned and raised his hand to gain the attention of the blonde-haired person. The man noticed Zack and walked towards him, occasionally averting his eyes to the ground as he walked.

"Long time no see!" Zack called out as he approached. "How have you been Cloud?"

Cloud Strife shrugged his shoulders, "Been getting by."

"Thanks for coming out in such short notice. I know I'm rushing this but I swear this girl is perfect. She's smart, strong, funny, and has a body that the goddess herself must have blessed her with. I'm talking about perfect hourglass here."

"Don't tell me you're marrying her based on looks." Cloud sighed.

"I said she was smart, funny and strong too!" Zack said. "Yeah her body is what first attracted me to her but she has everything. I'm crazy about this girl. I told you on the phone about how I nearly punched out a guy who was flirting with her had she not hit him first."

Zack smirked at the thought. Cloud smiled briefly, which went unnoticed to Zack. He was too busy going on and on about this perfect woman. At first, Cloud thought this was another one of those skirt-chasing escapades for Zack. Since Cloud met him, he could see that he was a ladies man. Cloud and Zack had met eight years ago when Cloud joined the military. Cloud had been struggling since he entered but Zack, who was already at the time top class SOLDIER, was a voice of encouragement. Older and stronger than Cloud, he helped Cloud in basic training, sparring, and such.

They became good friends, so much that Zack had invited him to his wedding. In addition, he asked Cloud to be his best man. However, it did take an hour of begging, whining, and pleading to get Cloud to agree to be best man. At first, the younger man was not interested in going up in front of a crowd, although Zack claimed it would be a small crowd, to give a speech. The wedding was a week away, which would give Cloud enough time to meet Zack's future wife and the maid of honor.

"So when do I meet this perfect woman?" Cloud asked as they got to the taxi.

"Right now actually." He said. "She would be here but she's watching the kids."

Cloud's head snapped to Zack. "You have kids?"

"No! No!" Zack said immediately. "They're not our kids. They're the maid of honor's kids. Come on Cloud I know what I am doing when I'm in bed."

Zack gave him a grin, which caused Cloud to roll his eyes. The two took the taxi to a small bar. Cloud looked up as he saw the name of the bar clearly labeled 7th Haven.

"My girl owns this place," Zack notified.

Cloud grimaced. This place looked like, well a dump. Actually he thought this entire city was grim. It seemed as if everything was a dull color. There were no plants and the sky was not even blue but a shade of gray. Cloud wondered if that was because of the smog.

The two climbed the steps inside. The bar was completely empty. Yet, surprisingly the inside of the bar looked much better than the outside. All the tables had chairs turned upside down on top of them, probably to clean the floors. Everything seemed shiny and clean. Guess you cannot judge a book by its cover.

"This is where the reception is going to be." Zack said.

"Where am I staying?" Cloud asked.

"There are rooms upstairs actually. Your room is strait ahead down the hall."

Cloud nodded and headed up the steps. Zack peered around, curious as to the location of his fiancee. He knew she would be here watching those kids. He wondered if they stepped out. No, they would not have gone anywhere. His soon to be wife was anxious to meet his best friend. She would not have left the bar and their home. Not to mention it was not even locked up.

Scratching his head, he looked in the back room and saw no one. He looked inside the kitchen, wondering if she was cooking but saw no one. He was growing concerned, until he heard the sound of feet shuffling. He looked at the bar's back door to see a raven haired, ruby-eyed woman walking up the steps. She was dressed in a black skirt and a white blouse. When her eyes focused on Zack, they widened slightly.

"He's here?" She called out.

"Yeah, Tifa where were you?" Zack questioned his fiancee.

"Oh god those kids are playing hide and seek with me. They were getting so antsy and I told them to hide inside but I couldn't find them inside so I searched outside but there is no trace… I swear…"

Just then, there was a loud scream, followed by a crash. Tifa and Zack looked at one another, realizing the noise was coming from the upstairs. Together they bounded up the stairs. They ran down the hall to room where Cloud was staying and found him lying on the floor. Lying on top of the spiky haired man were two little boys.

Cloud winced, trying to push himself up. The two boys rolled off him landing on either side of him. Tifa and Zack looked at them. Zack was trying hard not to laugh while Tifa gave the two boys disapproving looks.

Cloud shook his head, shaking the cobwebs out. He looked over to see what landed on him when he saw two boys in front of him. They had to be younger than ten years old. One had gold hair and the other had chestnut brown. Both of them however, sported the same deep blue eyes. Eyes that looked exactly like...

"Boys," Tifa scolded, causing the boys to look up innocently. "I told you not to play in this room. It is for our guest."

"But Aunt Tifa we were in the closet," the brown haired boy said.

"And we were hiding," the other added. "Not playing."

"Then mister… er… um… mister opened the door and we thought it was you. He scared us!"

"You boys could have hurt him!" Tifa continued. "I want you to apologize to this man right now."

Zack chuckled and ruffled the boys' hair. "They were only playing Tifa. Besides, Cloud's tough. He's had to go through basic training for SOLDIER. If he survived through that I'm sure he can survive two kids landing on him, right Cloud?"

Cloud did not even hear what Zack said. Instead, he was staring at the boys. He never expected a couple of kids to fall from the closet right on top of him. He stared at the brown haired boy. He had sapphire blue eyes (something he noticed before) the same ones that his brother had, eye color that looked somewhat familiar.

Zack slapped Cloud's shoulder, snapping him from his daze. The two boys got up, giving Cloud a chance to stand back up. The twins were at his mid thigh height and looked scrawny.

"Cloud," Zack said. "Meet my beautiful fiancee, Tifa."

Tifa stepped forward and she and Cloud shook hands. Cloud noted she had a firm grip. He wondered if she was a boxer or into martial arts. One thing for sure was that she was a looker. She had a very beautiful body and could see how Zack first got interested in her.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Tifa said pleasantly. "Zack has told me a lot about you."

"Oh has he…" Cloud eyed Zack who was grinning.

"And these are Sora" she said touching the brown haired boy's head. Then she touched the golden haired boys head, "And Roxas. We're watching her for my maid of honor. Boys, this is Cloud."

Sora grinned up at Cloud while Roxas looked away. They were wearing similar outfits, t-shirt and pants. However, Roxas was wearing white while Sora was wearing red.

"Nice… to meet you…" Cloud said slowly.

Sora laughed. "He's funny."

The little brown haired boy touched Cloud's face. Cloud was taken aback by his gesture. His tiny hands reached up and yanked on one of Cloud's spikes. Cloud grimaced. Behind him, Zack was stifling his laughter. Once the little boy let go, he turned toward his twin and smiled.

Roxas moved slowly toward Cloud. He reached out his hand and touched Cloud's arm. After a brief moment, he pulled away, backing up slightly.

Tifa chuckled. "It's alright Roxas, Cloud is a friend."

Roxas ran behind Zack, hiding behind his leg.

"Roxas is a bit shy around people." Zack informed, looking down at the kid clutching his leg. "Sora on the other hand… likes being the center of attention."

Sora smiled innocently at the adults. Tifa gushed at how adorable he looked. Cloud finally stood up from the floor. He straitened his clothes. Tifa scooped up Sora in her arms and he held onto her happily.

"We'll let you get settled. I was about to make lunch and then I think Zack wanted to take you for a tuxedo fitting." Tifa said.

"You can meet the maid of honor when we drop off Roxas and Sora." Zack said, picking up Roxas at the same time. He placed the kid on his shoulders and he hung onto Zack's hair.

The two exited the room with the kids to let Cloud settle down. Once they were gone, he rubbed his back. It hurt a little; after all, he landed hard on the floor. As he began to unpack his things, his mind drifted to those two little kids. They were adorable he had to admit. Yet, something about those two kids reminded him of something. He just could not put his finger on it though.

Cloud placed some of his clothes in a dresser adjacent from his bed. He hung up some of the others in the closet next to it. Finished, he sat down on the bed, testing how comfortable it was. Well, it was soft but somewhat small for him. If he rolled over one way, he was sure to fall off. Oh well, he could not complain. It was better than staying at an inn and spending a thousand gil a night. Besides, he was doing this for Zack.

He lay down on the bed, head landing on the pillow. He was unsure whether he should go down and attempt to help with lunch or stay upstairs. Not that Cloud was much of a cook anyway. Actually, he was terrible at it. Yes, it was better he stayed up here.

Closing his eyes, Cloud took in a deep breath. Maybe it would be a good idea if he took a nap for a while. The ride here was long and he did not sleep much on the way here. Cloud breathed again, trying to doze off. He would have succeeded had he not felt something move along side him on his bed. He opened his eyes and saw Sora looking at him.

"Er… can I help you?" Cloud asked, unsure why the kid was here.

"Hello Mister Cloud." He said.

"Call me, Cloud." Cloud said. Mister sounded so weird.

"Cloud…" Sora said testing the name. "I get to hold the rings. So does Roxas…"

Cloud did not know what to say to that. Why was this kid bothering him anyway?

"Is that so?" Cloud asked.

Sora nodded. "Cloud… Your hair is cool."

Cloud blinked. That was a first. Someone calling his hair cool.

"I wish my hair was like that."

Cloud found this kid to be very random and not shy at all. He seemed very brave to talk to a complete stranger. Well, it was not as if he was going to hurt Sora but most kids shy away from people they did not know. Yet, this kid was bold. It was almost familiar. Just then, Cloud heard a creak. He looked up to see the twin hiding at the edge of the doorway.

"Hello…" Cloud said slowly.

"Brother!" Sora called out.

"Auntie Tifa says lunch is ready…" Roxas quietly relayed the message.

Cloud sat up, swinging his legs over the edge. His feet hit the floor.

"Well… I guess we should eat." Cloud said.

"Auntie Tifa makes good food! Better than mommy."

Cloud chuckled. "Better not let your mom hear that."

"Auntie said that too."

Just as Cloud was getting up, Sora launched himself on his back. Cloud stumbled backwards, falling back onto the bed.

"Piggyback ride!" Sora cried.

Cloud felt Sora tug on his collar, holding tightly and hoping for a piggyback ride. Cloud had a feeling Zack was the recipient of these quite often. Then again, Zack was much better with kids then he was. He had no experience with kids. He pushed Sora up higher onto his back so the little boy could get a better grip.

"Piggyback! Piggyback!" Sora chanted.

"Hold on kid," Cloud said, he then looked at Roxas. He shied away in the doorway. Cloud looked down at him and the blonde-haired twin looked down. The shyness this kid had reminded him of someone, yet he could not tell whom.

"Want a ride too?' Cloud asked slowly.

The kid shook his head Sora looked over Cloud's shoulder.

"Come on brother!" Sora urged.

"Maybe he wants his daddy carry him?" Cloud guessed.

The golden haired twin looked up confused. Sora shook his head, which Cloud caught out of the corner of his eyes.

"We don't have a daddy," said Sora. "We have a mommy but no daddy."

"Oh… sorry," Cloud apologized.

However, neither twin seemed upset. Sora was still waiting for the rest of his piggyback ride and Roxas was looking at the ground. Together the three walked down the stairs to the bar where a table was set with food already being served onto each plate. Tifa was placing a helping on a plate while Zack was lounging back in his chair. When he spotted, Cloud with Sora on his back he smirked.

Tifa turned around to see what was so funny but frowned. She stopped serving food and placed her hands on her hips.

"Sora, were you bothering Cloud?" she asked.

"No…" he replied innocently.

She picked up Sora and placed him in a chair.

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

Cloud shrugged. It was no big deal. He took a seat next to Zack, which was coincidentally next to Roxas's seat. Roxas was taking his napkin and placing it on his lap.

"So how was your trip?" Tifa asked.

"Fine," Cloud said shortly.

"Don't mind Cloud," Zack interrupted. "He's not so talkative."

Cloud shot him a look. Zack gave him a cheesy grin and then took a bite of his food.

"Auntie Tifa can I have juice?" Sora asked.

"Me too!" Roxas said looking up.

"Sure, Zack go get the boys juice and the rest of use something to drink." Tifa ordered.

"Isn't it your job to make drinks for us?" Zack asked.

Tifa shot him a look and Zack instantly got up. He reached over the table and kissed her cheek in apology. He moved around the table and looked at the boys.

"What do you want to drink?" Zack asked.

"Orange juice!" Sora said.

"Apple juice!" Roxas replied.

"Cloud what are you drinking?" Zack asked.

Cloud shrugged. "Whatever is fine."

"Come in back. We have tons of drinks!"

Cloud shrugged and got up to follow his friend. Tifa warned him not to take anything alcoholic because of the tuxedo fitting and did not need two drunken men making idiots out of themselves. They went into the backroom and Cloud was surprised to see how much drinks there actually were (mostly alcoholic).

Zack found the juice boxes for the boys and then got himself and Tifa their favorite drinks. He poured them in a glass and placed them on a tray. Cloud was looking at the selection.

"Find anything you like?"

"I guess I'll take this lemon lime mix…" Cloud said.

"Good choice," Zack said. "The boys' mother likes that one a lot but she always tries different ones."

"I see… so are the kids orphans?" Cloud happened to forget that earlier Tifa and Zack mentioned they were the Maid of Honor's children.

"No, why do you ask?"

"They said they didn't have a father."

"Yeah, their mom is a single mom. She met Tifa when she moved here from some no name town. Tifa helped baby-sit a lot so the kids call her auntie."

"Must be hard."

Zack poured Cloud's drink into a tall glass. "Oh yeah, it's hard for a single mom trying to take care of two hyperactive kids? It's hard even for Tifa and me too but we only get them like once or twice a week. They are good kids though."

The two returned with drinks for everyone. They sat at the table and ate. Tifa asked Cloud many questions, mostly to probe more about Zack and their adventures in SOLDIER together. The stories made the two kids bounce around in excitement while some made them burst out laughing.

"Tell us a story about Uncle Zack!" Sora said bouncing up and down in his chair. "A funny one!"

Cloud let a mischievous grin spread over his face. Zack caught it and instantly pointed a finger threateningly at Cloud.

"Don't you dare tell anyone that story." He glared.

"Tell us what?" Tifa purred. "I want to know."

"Well there was this one time where Zack…"

"Cloud, just remember pink frilly _panties_!"

"And I'm full! Let's go try on some tuxedos!" Cloud said pushing back his chair.

Tifa and the twins groaned, wanting to know what the men held over the other. However, it was late and Tifa promised the twins' mother that she would drop them off soon. After a quick clean up, Cloud and Zack were waiting outside with the twins while Tifa locked up the bar.

The group would walk to the shops since they were not too far off from Tifa's bar. Sora and Roxas were running around the adults playing some sort of game. Occasionally, they collided into one of the adults as they dodged between them to stay away from the other.

"No, Uncle Zack, don't let Roxas catch me please!" Sora begged, running around the black-haired man.

Zack snatched Sora off the ground and placed him on his shoulders. Sora giggled gleefully and stuck his tongue out at his brother. Roxas fumed and stomped his little foot while muttering how unfair it was. He tugged on Zack's pant leg. Zack looked down.

"Can I have a ride too?" he asked.

"There's only room for one on my shoulder kiddo," Zack grimaced. "Next time it'll be your turn."

Roxas frowned and looked down. Suddenly, he was hoisted off the ground. He found himself sitting on Cloud's shoulders. Tifa smirked as she saw Roxas holding onto Cloud's spiky locks after she had placed him on the man.

"Err…" Cloud said under the weight of the kid.

Roxas tugged on his locks causing Cloud to wince.

"You're not that tall," Roxas noted.

"Afraid of heights?" Cloud asked, wincing again from the hair pulling.

"Falling," he said. "I fell one time and mommy said I _could have broken my neck_ but she saved me."

Cloud stumbled slightly, and Roxas gasped. He pulled hard causing Cloud to bite his lip. He never realized how painful hair pulling was. He wonders if Zack had to deal with that with Sora on his shoulders. Then again, Sora seemed to squirm a lot more than Roxas.

Tifa noted how uncomfortable Cloud looked under the weight of the child. She thought it be cute if he carried him but perhaps Cloud was not good with children.

"I'm sorry Cloud," Tifa apologized. "I'll carry Roxas."

"No, it's fine." He responded sincerely.

For some reason, he did not mind.

The group arrived at the mother's flower shop. The stood at the outside and saw a quaint little store that looked neat and tidy from the outside.

"It's a little small on the inside," Tifa said. "Yet, the flowers are beautiful. I swear this is the only place that sells flowers in the entire city."

She reached to open the door while Zack and Cloud let the twins down from their free ride. Once Tifa opened the door, the two ran past her screaming for their mommy. Tifa had to jump back or she might have tripped over one of them. Zack and Cloud followed her inside to see a beautiful flower shop.

In the main room were several displays full of fresh flowers that were currently in season. Along the back wall behind the checkout counter were empty glass vases and a row of different color ribbons. The walls of the shop were an off white with a border of flowers along the top and bottom. The floors were light colored hard wood.

"Hello, anyone home?" Zack called.

"MOMMY!" the twins chorused, cupping their hands to their mouth.

Cloud stared around the shop at nothing in particular. He was amazed at how beautiful the flowers did look, but they were not that interesting to him. What he was amazed at though was that a single mother ran her own shop and looked over two twin boys. She must really be one of those super moms. He just hoped she was nice and such since he was pretty awkward around people he did not know. Especially, since he would be walking down the aisle during the wedding with her.

Just then, he heard a bell ringing. Cloud looked down to see, Sora stretching his tiny arm up to the counter to hit a bell that lay on top. He assumed the shop owner did not hear their calls from earlier.

"Maybe she stepped out," Zack suggested, leaning against the counter.

Cloud shrugged and watched as Roxas tried to get his turn to ring the bell. Sora was determined to ring the bell more times before his brother even got a chance to ring it once. He smirked slightly as he looked at them.

In the back room, the shop owner could hear the faint ringing of her bell. She looked up from watering one of her plants and then looked up at a clock on the wall. It read 5:48 p.m.

"Wow that late already," she whispered. "I wonder if that best man is here too."

She placed down the watering can she was holding and headed for the main room. She dodged between a row of plants and looked through the door to see her sons taking turns ringing the bell now. She giggled at how cute they looked. Her eyes traveled up and she could see Zack leaning against the counter and Tifa talking to someone next to her, but not Zack. Zack was blocking the person. She assumed it was the best man. Wanting to make a good impression, the shop owner put on her best smile and made her way to the door. At the same time Zack moved, giving her ample view of the best man.

At that moment, Aerith Gainsborough froze in place. All color drained from her face as her emerald green eyes widened. Then in a flash, she ducked behind one of the rows of tables that her flowers sat on. Her heart was going a mile a minute as she pressed herself against the side of the counter.

After nine years, Aerith Gainsborough had NEVER thought she would see what she saw. After nine years, she nearly forgot. Her mind was racing with questions, millions of questions. Yet, the all clamored into one single question in her head.

_What is Cloud doing here_?

**X, X, X,**

Author- I apologize for the wait. I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.


	3. This Meeting

**Disclaimer**- Final Fantasy VII is own by Square Enix

**The Promise Rings**

**Chapter 3**

**This Meeting**

Aerith Gainsborough crawled across the ground, something she had not done since she was a child. She did not want to be seen by them, by Cloud. How could this be? How could this man, who she had not seen in years, just happen to be the best man at her friends' wedding? She slid under one of her tables that held up her potted plants. She pressed herself to the floor, which allowed her to see the shoes of everyone in the other room.

She stared, trembling slightly. She grabbed onto the legs of the table unable to comprehend this. All she could comprehend is that she wanted them to leave. Leave now and as fast as they could. That would at least give her a few hours, maybe, to figure out a way to get out of being the maid of honor at the wedding or get out of going to the wedding period. No, that would not work. Tifa would knock her out if she missed the wedding. That and she could not just avoid the wedding. Tifa was her best friend. Aerith groaned inwardly.

"Where is she?" she could hear Tifa from the other room. "I'm going to check the back room. Maybe she can't hear us."

Aerith bit her lip, shutting her eyes as if that would do any good. If Tifa looked hard enough, she would spot her easily under the table. She could hear her shoes thump across the wooden floor. Just then, the footsteps became closer and closer until they came to a stop. Aerith opened her eyes. She came face to face with Tifa's shoes, which were lightly dusted with dirt. Her eyes peered up to see Tifa with her hands on her hips and looking questioningly at Aerith.

Tifa had no idea why Aerith was on the floor, under a table with her eyes shut. She could not even begin to guess. She knelt down to her friend. Aerith gave her a worried look. Her eyes darted from her friend to the people in the other room. Tifa understood the look in her eyes. She understood that her friend did not want to go out there. The only thing is she did not understand why. The raven-haired girl spun around and headed out the door back into the main room.

"I couldn't find her," Tifa said. "Maybe she stepped out."

"Well if she didn't lock up that means she'll be back soon." Zack said thoughtfully.

"You and Cloud will be late for your tuxedo fittings!" Tifa replied quickly

She began shoving Zack and Cloud out of the flower shop. Cloud did not say a word but Zack kept tp protesting.

"Alright, alright I get it." Zack said after Tifa shoved him outside.

Zack leaned over so he was eye level with Tifa. He gave her a quick peck, which she returned.

"I'll see you later," said Zack.

"Now you two behave!" Tifa glared.

"I thought we were," Sora piped up. He appeared next to Tifa, his bright blue eyes shining.

"Not you and Roxas. I meant Uncle Zack and Uncle Cloud." Tifa ruffled Sora's hair before shooting a warning glare at Zack. "I mean it! No coming home drunk!"

Zack wrapped his arm around Cloud, pulling him closer. Cloud made a noise as Zack's bicep began crushing his throat. Zack simply gave her a large cheesy grin. Tifa's eyes narrowed.

"We wouldn't dream of it, right Cloud?"

The two staggered off. Tifa shook her head smirking to herself. She then turned around and headed back into the back room. Aerith was still on the ground looking nervous.

"They're gone you can come out now."

Letting out a sigh of relief, Aerith rolled out from under the table, her dress collecting dust in the process. Tifa helped her up and Aerith quickly brushed off the dust. Sora and Roxas scampered into the room and nearly tackled their mother to the ground. Tifa smirked.

"Mom!" they shouted. "Can we go to the park today please?"

"Did you behave?" Aerith asked, "Did you listen to Aunt Tifa."

They nodded vigorously. Aerith patted their heads.

"Oh, except those two landed right on top of the best man," Tifa reminded.

"It was an accident!" Roxas protested.

"He scared us!" Sora added.

Aerith eyed them suspiciously. The two boys blabbered on about how they were playing a game and such. Their mother relented because the boys never meant any harm. When she said they could go, the boys cheered and hugged their mother tightly. They scampered into the next room to gather their toys. Sometimes Aerith had to bring the boys to the shop since Tifa and Zack could not always baby-sit. She left some of their toys in the back room where they could play while she worked.

Once the boys were gone, Tifa crossed her arms and stared at Aerith. Aerith looked at her confused. Tifa rolled her eyes.

"Aren't you going to explain what that was all about?" The raven-haired girl asked.

"What was what?" Aerith asked, innocently.

Tifa tilted her head back and threw her hands in the air.

"The whole, hiding under a table and not coming out to meet the best man thing."

"I… look like a mess. I could not let anyone see me like this."

It was a lie. Yet, Tifa bought it completely.

Tifa shrugged as the two exited the back room to the front room. Sora was holding a redl and a wooden sword in his hand. Roxas was holding a similar sword in his hand as well. They were bouncing excitedly wanting to go to the park.

"We want to go!" they chorused.

"Boys, you know I have to go to the fitting for my dress." Aerith said. "We'll go after I promise."

The boys groaned. Aerith chuckled. She left with Tifa and her boys, locking up the shop before she went. The boys were running back and forth between the two adults as they chatted lightly. Tifa was talking about the wedding details but Aerith was simply listening but her mind was elsewhere. All she could think about was Cloud.

Why was he here? Well that was obvious. Cloud was the best man. Next question: How on Gaia was it possible that Zack and Cloud knew each other? Was it some cruel joke that the fates decided to play on her? It had been almost nine years since they had last seen each other. Why after such a long time would he show up? She had gotten along without seeing him since then. How could she even face him? Would he even recognize her?

Aerith was lost in her thoughts that she did not even realize that she was at the dress shop with Tifa. Tifa was already trying on her beautiful wedding gown. It was a strapless jacquard ball gown. The bodice had silver beaded embroidery on it as well as the hem of the skirt. The back of the bodice had corset style with a delicate silk lace that tied into a neat short bow. The shop owner moved around Tifa, pinning certain places that still needed to be tailored before the wedding.

"Well what do you think?" Tifa asked Aerith.

Aerith was planted in a white cushioned chair. Roxas was sitting in her lap tugging at her curls, hoping to snap her out of her daze. Sora was gently rolling the ball across the floor because he would be punished if he bounced the ball inside the store.

"Hello, anyone home?" Tifa asked.

"Mommy," Roxas tugged. "Mommy, wake up."

Aerith blinked and looked over at Tifa who was waiting with her arms crossed. Aerith shook her head.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"What's up Aerith? You're completely out of it."

"Nothing, just daydreaming I guess." Aerith shrugged. "You look stunning. Zack is going to drool when he sees you."

Tifa chuckled. "Oh he'll drool alright! That is after he sees what I got him for the wedding night."

She grinned devilishly. Aerith smiled at her. Tifa probably chose some incredibly sexy lingerie for her wedding night. The tailor finished pinning the dress. With a little help from both ladies, they slipped her out of the dress. Now it was Aerith's turn.

Aerith changed into the dress Tifa was making her wear for the wedding. It was not an ugly dress by any means. It was stunning. It was a sleeveless chiffon dress the came just above the knee. The straps were beaded and the bodice hugged her breasts snugly. Aerith felt out of place in such less conservative dress. She was use to her clothing covering her body. She assumed that Tifa chose this dress to gain some attention than rather blend in with the surroundings. However, Aerith was not ashamed to be another face in the crowd. She had too much to deal with in her life than going around and chasing some person.

"Oh do you think the hem is too short?" the woman asked.

"No, I think its fine!" Tifa answered before her friend could. "In fact maybe you can shorten it an inch or two."

"TIFA!" Aerith sounded horrified. "I'm too old to be dressing like I'm sixteen."

"Oh, please! Aerith you are only a year older than me!"

"You have a better body to boot."

Comparing herself to Tifa, Aerith could understand why men gave her attention. She was gorgeous. With her long raven hair, her deep ruby eyes gave her an exotic look. Her breasts were large and round. Her legs were so long that they looked as if they went on her forever. She was physically fit and above all her personality was beautiful as her. She was a catch for any man! Aerith felt like an old maid.

"Aerith, you know what your problem is? You have no confidence. I bet if you wore that dress outside right now a ton of guys would go for you."

"I have other things to worry about then what a guy thinks of me."

Her biggest problem however was how she could avoid Cloud. They would have to meet eventually. She sighed inwardly. Why was she so worried about this? It was nine years ago! Certainly they could act like mature adults. Aerith could not avoid him forever. She was acting like a child. She should just get over with and get on her with her life! Yes, that would be the right thing to do. She decided she would march up to Cloud and talk to him and get everything out in the open.

"Hey Zack and Cloud are heading this way." Tifa said, peering out the window.

Except now!

Aerith yelped and jumped from the stand and into the dressing room. Tifa, the tailor, and Aerith's sons all watched as the dressing room door slammed shut. Moments later. the tailor knocked on the door.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry did I prick you with a needle?"

Aerith was propped against the door her heart beating a mile a minute.

"Ah, um yeah," Aerith breathed, lying again for her foolishness.

"Well you're finished dear if you wish to change."

"I'm going to go out there. I don't want Zack to see the dress since its bad luck and all. Hurry up so we can introduce you to the best man!"

She could hear Tifa's footsteps retreating. She quickly slipped off the dress and back into her own pink one. She needed to escape. She could not look at Cloud right now, let alone cause a scene in front of her friends. She looked around. Maybe she could crawl under the door and out the back window or something and make a break for it. Maybe she could hide in here until they went away? Or maybe...

**KNOCK! KNOCK!**

"EEK!" Aerith screamed.

"Mommy, Roxas and I want to go to the park." Sora said from the other side.

An idea formed in Aerith's head.

"Sweetheart," she called. "If you do exactly what mommy says mommy will buy you and your brother ice cream, okay?"

"OKAY!" he agreed, accepting her bribe without hesitation.

"Listen carefully do you see a door in the back?"

"Uh huh!"

"Alright tell your brother to go there and wait for me."

Aerith could here her son talking to the other. The two argued momentarily before Sora pointed out that their mother told him to. Aerith never was one to bribe her kids but she was desperate. Sora returned to the door, knocking to gain her attention.

"Sweetie, tell me if Aunt Tifa, Uncle Zack, or their friend is looking inside."

"Nope, they're not looking."

Aerith opened the door and peered out. When she confirmed her son's statement, she gathered him in her arms and flew to the back door. She pushed it open and gathered her second son under her arm. Without looking back, she ran from the shop in a desperate attempt to escape. She could not face Cloud, not now and if she could avoid him up until the time he left, it would be perfect. However, she knew that would never happen, ever. It would only be a matter of time.

"What is taking her so long?" Tifa said as she impatiently tapped her foot.

Zack was leaning against the brick wall of the building, arms behind his head. Cloud was slouching in his position across from Zack. Tifa crossed her arms, still tapping her foot. She frowned and tossed her head to the side. A minute later, she placed her hands on her hips and her face began to darken.

"Seriously it doesn't take that long to take off a dress and put your own one on!"

"Maybe she's stuck." Zack suggested.

Tifa walked back in to help Aerith. Zack and Cloud looked through the window to see what was going on. They could see Tifa talking with the shopkeeper. A moment later, she came out with a confused look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Zack inquired.

"She left," Tifa answered. "She left out the back door. I don't get it… I just don't get it."

Zack scratched his head. "That is… awkward."

The two looked at Cloud who simply shrugged. He was not sure if he should feel offended or not. He never met the woman so what could he say?

"Well, we were hoping to introduce you guys." Tifa sighed.

"Yeah we wanted her to show you around." Zack groaned.

Tifa punched his arm. Zack let out an "ouch" before receiving a glare from his girl. Zack grinned nervously as he rubbed his arm. Tifa turned smiling to Cloud.

"What he means is that we wanted her to show you around while we finish some of the other wedding details. We don't want to drag you around."

Cloud nodded. "I'll just go sight seeing. I've never been to Midgar before."

"Oh, well you sure you don't want go back to the bar and rest?" Tifa suggested.

"No, I'm fine."

"Alright, well Zack and I will be back around seven. We're having dinner out so we'll meet… oh how about here?"

"That's fine, I'll see you then."

"Don't get lost!" Zack joked.

The three said their good byes and Cloud found himself alone. He wandered around absentmindedly since the city sights were nothing spectacular to look at. He walked around a busy marketplace where venders were trying to get him to buy their random weapons, clothing, and other such things. Cloud ignored them finding no need for such items. He was never one for shopping anyway.

Cloud found the city bleak looking. The buildings seemed to every possible shade of gray. He could not even spot a single tree, flower, or even a blade of grass amongst the fields of concrete. Even the people seemed to dress rather drab. This place was a far cry from his home in Nibelheim. Nibelheim was small and everyone knew everyone. There was plant life everywhere and the sky always seemed blue. From what Cloud noticed, the sky here seemed to be gray. He wondered if it was just a gray day or if it was because of smog.

Cloud stopped walking as he was walking across an overpass. He looked over the railing to see a long stretch of train tracks. His hands rested on the railing and he let out a long sigh. He wondered how in the _hell_ could anyone live in such a place. He wondered why Zack moved here after he left the military. The blond knew his friend met Tifa after so he knew why he stayed but from the stories, Zack's hometown of Gongaga seemed like a beautiful place to live. If there was one thing Cloud knew about Zack, it was never to question the raven-haired man and he never did. Why should he? Zack's life seemed perfect. He had a nice place to live and a soon to be beautiful wife. What more could a man ask for?

Slumping forward, Cloud rested his arms on the railing. His eyes watched a train zooming under him. He rubbed his left hand over the glove. A moment later the train passed and Cloud was walking again. When he reached the other side of the overpass he saw a rather worn out sign that was slightly slanted.

Midgar park- West

Midgar Shopping District- East

Midgar actually had a park. Cloud was rather shocked. He wondered if the park had flowers or was it just as bland as the rest of the city. Deciding to check it out, since he had nothing else to do, Cloud headed west.

At the park already, Aerith was sitting on a park bench watching her children toss their ball around. After she ran what seemed like miles, she had to sit down and relax. That is after she bought her sons ice cream. Neither son asked why their mother had left the shop in such a hurry but that was probably because they were both treated with chocolate ice cream.

Aerith sighed as she stared at her boys tossing a ball around. The park they were at had no actual plants, but it did have swing sets, slides, and things the children could climb on. Roxas and Sora had finished chasing each other around on one of the jungle gyms when they began playing catch with their ball. Sora was tossing the ball purposely over Roxas's head so he would have to run to catch it.

"Stop it Sora!" Roxas cried as he scampered after the red ball.

Normally, Aerith would tell Sora to play nice but with her mind was unable to focus on her sons' minor squabble. All she could think about was Cloud Strife standing a few feet away. He looked the same and yet not. He had the same hair, eyes, and the same quiet expression. Yet, he was older. He had lean muscles and was much taller than before. He was Cloud and not. She wondered if he would even remember her. What would he even have said if he did?

"I said stop it Sora!" Roxas complained as he tried to jump in the air to catch the ball.

Aerith shuttered at the thought of talking to Cloud again. She could imagine him saying many things but nothing she wished to confront. To her, it would just be awkward. She leaned back, rubbing her temples.

"I told you to stop it!" Roxas huffed as he dropped the ball on the ground in front of him.

"Don't be mad because you can't throw!" Sora teased.

"I'm not mad!"

"Yes you are!"

"Sora, Roxas stop fighting." Aerith called to her sons.

"We're not fighting." Sora responded in defense. "Come on throw the ball!"

Roxas crossed his arms. "Promise not to throw it so high?"

"Promise!" Sora said lifting up his hand, while his other was behind his back. "Cross my heart and hope to die."

Roxas picked up the ball and threw it. Sora easily caught the ball in his hands. He glanced over at his mother who was rubbing her temples still, not fully paying attention to her sons. Sora grinned and threw the ball at his brother, right over his head and bouncing across the ground. When Roxas retrieved it, he turned at glared at his twin. Sora was trying hard not to chuckle at his brother's misfortune.

"You liar!" the unfortunate twin huffed.

Roxas threw the ball to the ground and backed up. Then he charged it and kicked it with so much force that it went sailing over his brother's head and far down the field.

"Now you go get it!"

Sora rushed after the ball. At the same time, Aerith turned her attention back to her sons. She let out a gasp as she jumped out of her spot on the bench. Sora was blindly rushing after the ball right into the street.

"SORA STOP!" Aerith cried in terror.

Her son dived at the ball landing in the street. He gleefully held it up when he saw his mom running and screaming at him to get out of the street. Sora could not hear what she was saying. It was only when he heard a car honk that he realized what was going on. Sora's head snapped to the side when he saw a car coming at him. Sora threw his hands over his face. The car zoomed at her son and Aerith let out a horrific cry, as the car kept going.

"SORA!" Aerith screamed.

Her hands on her face, Aerith began sobbing falling to her knees. A car hit her son, her sweet little boy. How could she call herself a mother? Aerith was sobbing hysterically as she called out her sons name when she felt her other son tug her sleeve.

Aerith looked at Roxas who was pointing across the street. Aerith looked across the street to see Sora safely in the lap of some man. Aerith had to have muttered a million "oh thank god" before she stood up and crossed the street with Roxas. When she reached the other side, Sora was on his feet staring at the remains of his ball, which was now in pieces.

"It's all broke." Sora said to the man.

"Who cares, what matters is your safe," said the man.

"It's my fault though."

Aerith launched herself at Sora, wrapping her arms around her son. She did not bother yet to thank the man; she was too busy sobbing and clutching her son to her. Roxas was standing next to the man, not really sure what was going on. He looked at the man questionably. The man smiled very slightly.

"Mom, I'm fine let go!" Sora whined.

"Sora, I can't believe you!" Aerith scolded. "I told you never to run into the streets. You know better than that. You could have been killed!"

"I'm fine mom. Cloud saved me. He came out of nowhere and we were rolling across the street. It was so cool. He was like some superhero! Oh, I broke the ball though."

Aerith's eyes widened. She dissolved the embrace and was now holding her son by the arms. He was smiling up at the man. Horror filled her face. It could not be. The odds of him being behind her were slim to none. There was no way Cloud would be at the park. It was probably someone else.

"So, you're there mom," said Cloud. "Zack and Tifa have been trying to introduce you. I'm Cloud Strife and you are..."

Aerith's hands tensed, causing Sora to squirm out of her grasp. Aerith stood up. She half debated on running away as fast as she could. Yet her mind was telling her to stop being a coward and thank the man who saved her sons life. She chose the latter.

Turning around, her head bent she said, "Long time no see, Cloud."

She looked up, her nervous green eyes finding his blue ones. After several seconds, realization hit Cloud. He knew this girl, no this woman. How could he ever forget those green eyes, that plaited brown hair, and that signature pink ribbon? As he stared at her his mouth opened to form words but nothing came out. He closed his mouth as his eyes traveled down to the two little boys who were standing next to her. Then he opened his mouth again and this time the words came.

"What the…?"

**X,X,X,**


	4. This Awkward Reunion

**The Promise Rings**

**Chapter 4**

**This Awkward Reunion  
**

"What the fu-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence Cloud Strife!" Aerith threatened, pointing her finger at him.

Cloud snapped his mouth shut. He swallowed hard as he once again looked up and down at the woman in front of him and the little boys at her side. He looked at Sora particularly. They shared the same chestnut brown hair. Her son, he was her son. Both of them were her sons. He said it in his head several times over, yet he could not fathom the idea that this was true.

"Mommy," Sora tugged on his mom's hand, "why does Cloud look like he is going to throw up?"

Aerith looked down at her son. "I don't know."

"Maybe he ate something bad." Roxas muttered.

Aerith took both her sons' hands. Cloud was still staring as if he had just seen a ghost, his face very pale.

"Thank you for helping my son," Aerith said, bowing her head. "However, I have to be going now, good bye."

Aerith moved past Cloud, dragging her sons with her. She hurried as fast as she could away from Cloud. Sora and Roxas looked at each other confusingly. After several seconds, Cloud finally snapped from his shock and realized Aerith was running away.

He ran after her, catching up easily. After all, Sora and Roxas were like little weights attached to her hands and could not move as fast as Aerith wanted them too. She even debated carrying them again but found them not as light as they use to be when they were toddlers.

Cloud ran in front of them, stopping Aerith in her tracks. She looked at him for a second and ushered her boys around him.

"You were avoiding me the entire day, weren't you?" Cloud accused, following her.

"I wasn't avoiding you."

Cloud snorted, "So we just happened to not see each other at the flower shop and at the dress shop?"

Aerith shrugged as she continued moving. "I promised my kids ice cream and a day at the park. I have TONS of work to do afterward. Oh look at the time, I'm running late as is!"

"You don't even have a watch!"

Aerith hurried along, Cloud was still at her heels. She hurried past several stores, down the block. Aerith looked down the sidewalk at the corner bus stop and prayed the bus was coming ASAP. Cloud once again ran ahead of Aerith. He stopped in front of her forcing Aerith to halt in her tracks once again. Sora and Roxas stopped as well and looked up at the two adults, utterly confused about what was going on.

"What do you want?" Aerith sighed.

"_What do you want_?" Cloud exasperated, "That's all you have to say? It's been over eight years since we have seen each other and all you have to say is "_What do you want_?"

Aerith thought for a moment, her face changing to several different expressions of thought. After a moment, she nodded her head agreeing with whatever she was thinking.

"Yes, that is all I have to say, good bye."

Aerith attempted to move around Cloud but he blocked her. She tried again and he blocked her. Aerith glared at him and he glared back. Tension was rising. So many questions, so many emotions were building, and Cloud was not getting anywhere.

Sora slipped from his mom's grasp as the two were having their little stare down. He was completely uninterested to what was going on now that they were standing next to a toyshop. He pressed his face against the glass. Roxas was rocking back forth on his heels, bored.

"I'm not moving," Cloud said sternly. "Not until you talk to me. At least tell me why you are here! Something! Anything!"

"Hey mom!" Sora called out, gaining attention of the two adults.

Aerith was relieved of the minor distraction.

"What is it?" she asked gently.

"Can I have that toy sword? Please, I really, really, really, want it!"

Roxas let go of his mom and joined is brother at the window. He instantly found something her wanted.

"If he gets a sword I get a skateboard!" Roxas shouted.

"You only want something because I want something," Sora argued. "I'm older so I get something!"

"So, you broke our ball!"

The two began to argue and were about to wrestle each other when Aerith pulled them apart by the back of their shirts.

"Boys!" she snapped. "If you two don't stop fighting you'll get nothing. Besides your birthdays are in a few weeks..."

Realization hit the boys. Their eyes widened.

Together they yelled out, "CAN WE GET IT FOR OUR BIRTHDAY? PLEASE! PLEASE! PLEASE!"

Aerith looked at them. Their hands folded and their blue eyes pleading like adorable little puppies. She sighed placing her hand on her head. They were just too cute to say no to. She cursed her inability to say no to them.

"We'll see," she conceded.

The two boys cheered, assumming it was yes. They each hugged their mother with huge smiles on their faces. Cloud had to smirk. Aerith was too much of a softie to say no to them. He could tell because she loved them too much. This scene was so sweet it could rot out someone's teeth.

As the boys hugged their mother, the sound of motorcycle coming down the street interrupted them. The bike stopped in front of them and it only took the four seconds to realize it was Zack driving his bike and Tifa holding onto the back. When Zack turned off the bike, Tifa slipped off and looked happily at the four.

"I thought it was you two!" she said. "Wow, so you guys finally met! Seriously, Aerith you kept disappearing. What was that all about?"

"Yeah, what was that all about?" Cloud asked.

Aerith laughed nervously. Tifa looked at her confusingly. Zack got off his bike and placed his arm around Tifa.

"Well my _honey _and I are finished with our wedding stuff. It took less time than expected."

Tifa continued to look at Aerith, realizing something was wrong while Zack was completely oblivious.

"Say Aerith we were going to ask you if you wanted to have dinner with us. We thought this would be a good way to for you two to get acquainted."

Aerith shifted uncomfortably but it was Cloud who replied.

"Don't worry about it," he told Zack. "We've been acquainted for a long, _long_ time."

Zack scratched his head, confused. "What you guys met somewhere before?"

"You could say that." Cloud said, dryly.

"Cool, where did you meet?"

Tifa let out a groan at Zack. He was beyond oblivious. How could he not even feel the tension and awkwardness between them? It was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Tifa wanted to take Aerith aside and understand what was going on. After all, these two were in the wedding party. They had to get a long even if it killed them. She was not going to have them ruin her wedding.

"Actually, I have to take the boys home. Give me a rain check on the dinner, okay?" Aerith said. "Oh, look the bus is here! Sora, Roxas let's go!"

This time, Aerith was able to slip past Cloud without any resistance. Aerith could not bring herself to look at Cloud. As she ran to the bus stop, the bus pulled to a stop and waited for them. Roxas and Sora were with her, racing to see who could get the bus first. Once they got on, Aerith took a moment before getting on, wanting to look back. She fought the desire and won, sitting in between her sons who were comfortable in their seats.

When the bus pulled away, Tifa looked at Cloud who was staring down at the ground. Zack was completely baffled about everything, making Tifa want to hit him. Cloud stared at the ground, one of his hands clenching slightly. Zack tried to lighten the mood and get an answer to all this awkwardness.

"Hey, Cloud what's up?" Zack asked. "You're looking gloomier than usual."

"You're such a comedian," Cloud said, letting out a string of fake laughs.

Zack asked, "Is it the maid of honor? I swear Aerith is never really like this. Not sure what has gotten into her."

He looked over at Tifa who shrugged.

"Nor do I…"

Zack arched an eyebrow and then laughed. "You sound like you know her."

"I _did_ know her."

Zack gasped. "Wait… what?"

"You know Aerith?" Tifa finished Zack's question.

Cloud looked up at Zack. Zack saw the uncertainty in his best man's face. Cloud looked at his friend as if he should already know the answer to all this.

Cloud did not say anything. However, it took Zack only moments to realize what Cloud was talking about. Zack had known Cloud since he entered SOLDIER. The two shared stories about their lives and such. One particular thing was Cloud's relationship with his then girlfriend, Aerith. However, the black spiky haired man never derived a conclusion that the Aerith he knew was the same one that Cloud knew. Yet, at that moment, Zack Fair realized how small the world was.

Zack gaped"Wait, Aerith is your girlfriend... exgirlfriend?"

"I'm going for a walk." Cloud interuppted, clearly not wanting to talk about it. "I need to clear my head. I'll be back at the bar soon."

"Don't be late. We're going out for dinner." Tifa reminded as he walked away.

Once Cloud turned the corner, she looked at Zack.

"This is a bit weird," Tifa said. "I can't believe Aerith and Cloud know each other. I wonder why they broke up."

"Don't look at me. Cloud didn't tell me it ended. Well, I should have figured that it ended when he stopped mentioning her."

Tifa sighed. "Well, whatever the reason I hope those two can get along for the wedding. I don't need a huge argument breaking out."

"Seriously, but what if they don't?" Zack asked.

Tifa thought for a moment, her lips twitching to a mischievous grin. "Oh they will. I got the perfect idea."

Zack let out a purr as he slid is arm around her waist. Tifa rolled her eyes, shoved her boyfriend on his bike, and got on. Zack let out a laugh. Before he started his bike, he looked back at her.

"So what are you going to do about it?" he inquired.

Tifa smiled, "Invite them to dinner."

**X, X, X,**

"Come on Aerith you are my maid of honor YOU have to come!" Tifa said over the phone. "I planned this and now you're ruining everything!"

Aerith winced. Tifa definitely knew how to play a guilt card. Then again, Tifa's wedding was ONLY a few days away and it was stressful enough for the bride-to-be to put together a wedding. Who was she to act childish? One dinner with Cloud would not be so horrible. After all, Zack and Tifa would be there and Cloud would not cause a scene. When they were younger, he never did like much attention on him anyway. At least she hoped he was still like that.

"Alright, I'll come." Aerith finally agreed.

"Good, and dress nice really nice. Zack is taking all of somewhere fancy. Later!"

Aerith hung up the phone. Letting out a sigh, she looked out into the living room of her apartment. Her sons were lying on the floor watching cartoons. She smiled at them before frowning. It would take her forever to get them into their little suits. They always complained that they looked stupid and it was itchy.

As she watched them, her mind began to drift to time when she moved to Midgar, several weeks after she found out she was pregnant…

_Aerith was lying on the examination bed in a white hospital gown. She was alone in the room, anxiously waiting for her doctor to come through the door. The room was very bright. Had this room not been in a hospital, she might have been more comfortable. Next to her was the ultrasound machine. She was excited about seeing her child for the first time, hoping the child would be healthy._

_The door to the room opened and a beautiful woman entered in a white coat. She had long brown hair tied back in a ponytail. She was holding a folder in her hand clearly labeled with Aerith's name. The Obstetrician/gynecologist smiled at Aerith._

"_Hi, Ms Gainsborough." She greeted warmly. "My name is Dr. Lucrecia Cresant and I shall be performing your ultrasound."_

_Aerith smiled and took her hand when she offered it. The two shook hands and Lucrecia sat down in a rolling chair to look through the files. _

"_Are you excited?" Lucrecia asked._

"_Yes, very much," Aerith answered._

_Lucrecia rolled the chair toward Aerith and started the machine. _

"_So, do you want to find out of the baby is a boy or a girl today?"_

_Aerith shook her head, smiling. "No, I want it to be a surprise. I just want to know if the baby is healthy."_

_Lucrecia nodded, "Alright, let's see the baby."_

_Lucrecia placed the transducer on the small mound. Aerith let out a breath and looked at the screen. Lucrecia moved it around her belly, as the monitor seemed to flicker._

"_Oh, look there is the baby," the Doctor pointed out. "See there is the head right there… and…"_

_Aerith looked excitedly until she saw the Doctor staring at the screen with an odd look on her face. Her face fell as she saw the look._

"_Oh my!" Lucrecia exclaimed._

"_What, what is it?" Aerith panicked. "Is the baby alright?"_

_The doctor smiled. "Oh your babies are doing fine Ms. Gainsborough."_

_Aerith let out a sigh of relief. Then a few seconds later, her head snapped up to look at Lucrecia in shock._

"_Did you say __**babies**__ as in more than one?"_

_Lucrecia nodded, "Yes, congratulations Ms. Gainsborough you are having twins."_

"_T-twins…?" Aerith looked back at the screen and saw the two little babies inside her. Her eyes were wide as she stared at the screen. She was having twins!_

"_Oh wow…"_

Aerith snapped from her daydream when she heard Roxas and Sora laughing hysterically. She sighed, smiling.

"Boys," Aerith said. "Come on we have to get ready to go out for dinner with Tifa and Zack."

"Where are we going?" Sora asked.

"I'm not sure, but you have to wear your suits."

"NO!" the boys whined in union.

Aerith rolled her eyes, knowing that it was coming. It was a chore getting her boys dressed. After they finally agreed to put on their suits, she fixed their cute little ties that she made them wear. She complimented at how adorable they looked, which they told her to stop because it was embarrassing.

Aerith dressed in a silk pale pink dress. It was off the shoulders and long sleeved. Along the neckline was a crystal buckle to add some shine. The dress hem was asymmetrical but was still sleek looking. This was, as Tifa would put it, a fancy dress. However, this dress was the only thing Aerith ever brought for herself in years, that was expensive. Most of her money went toward her sons, the rent and other things. Tifa talked her into buying it. She had to admit though; Tifa did have good taste in dresses… unless it was that bridal dress that seemed too short for her to wear.

Aerith was looking in the mirror, tying her hair but still keeping it in its braid. Sora and Roxas were watching her fix the curls that framed her face.

"How do I look?" she asked her sons.

"Pretty," Sora said.

"Very pretty," Roxas added.

Aerith smiled and opened up a old wooden jewelry box that sat on her dresser. Inside her jewelry were cheap knock offs. She could never afford real diamonds or such. She looked through them, deciding which one she should wear with the dress.

"What do you think?" she asked holding up a necklace to her neck.

The boys shrugged, as if they would know anything about accessories.

"Help me pick one out." She suggested.

The boys looked through her jewelry box with her. They picked it apart and each of them pulled out things they liked and put it in one pile and what they did not was left in the box.

"How about this necklace mommy?" Sora asked.

He was holding up a choker with a single diamond looking gem in the center.

"Oh that's pretty!" Aerith said taking it from him. She placed it on.

"What about this mommy?" Roxas suggested.

Aerith looked to see what he picked out and saw him holding out a ring. It was a silver color ring with the shape of the flower on the top. Inside of it was a pink colored jewel. Aerith stared at it for a moment before taking it from her son.

"How about I wear something else?" she asked. "This one is really old."

**X, X, X,**

Dressing nice was hard for Cloud. His clothes were usually drab and comfortable. So when Zack told him to dress into something formal looking, he had to borrow one of Zack's old suits. It was a bit longer on him, since there was a big height difference. He had to roll up the pants and jacket sleeve. The suit was a dark navy. At least he and Zack wore similar styles in clothing. Last thing he needed was to wear some gaudy suit that was cyan or turquoise. The thought made him shudder.

Cloud was sitting on his bed, putting on the dress shoes he would wear for the wedding. He was not about to wear one of Zack's smelly old shoes. He was attempting to tie the laces but his mind kept drifting, making him mess up. All he could think of was that Aerith was here. His girlfriend, could he even call her girlfriend? They never officially broke up but after eight years, he doubted he could call her that anymore. Not after the way she was obviously avoiding him.

After not seeing her for over eight years, it was like seeing a ghost. She still looked just as beautiful as she did when they were dating. She was older but still the same. Yet, there was ONE big difference. She was a mother of twins. When, who, and why were the questions running through his head. Then he wondered.

_Could I be the father?_

The idea was not that far fetched. He and Aerith did have sex, albeit once, but once was enough. Well the boys had to be nearing eight or nine or so years old. They were big and talked well. No way could they be anything under five. Sora and Roxas both had eyes that were blue and Roxas had golden haired. Cloud leaned back on the bed. The idea of him being a father was hard to take in. That could very well explain her hesitance to meet him. Then again, it also confused him even more. If he was the father, why did she not just tell him? What use would hiding it do? Cloud rubbed his hand, feeling uncomfortable. He needed to talk to Aerith. He needed to get everything straitened out.

"Hey Cloud," Zack said, barging into his room. "We're leaving so let's get going."

Cloud was still in deep thought. A big grin spread across the raven-haired man's face. Zack took this as an opportunity to smack his friend on the back. Cloud jumped, completely startled by Zack.

"What was that for?" Cloud snapped, rubbing his back.

Zack grinned, "Stop daydreaming or Tifa is going to yell at us for taking forever."

"I'm tying my shoes, " Cloud said, kneeling down to finish the simple task.

Zack let out a snort. Cloud glared at him as he finished tying up the laces. Zack stared at Cloud noticing how the suit was rather big on his friend. If Cloud had been any shorter the suit would have been hanging over his hands and feet.

"You look horrible." Zack commented. "Why wouldn't you pack a suit or something more formal?"

"I don't own any, no reason to."

Zack rolled his eyes before putting his arm around Cloud in a friendly manner. "That's why I'm here. I'm always looking out for you Cloud just like way back when right?"

"Oh yeah, except that time you nearly walked me off a cliff." Cloud muttered remembering a certain point with Zack during SOLDIER.

"So I had the map upside down big deal!"

"I nearly fell to my death."

"But you didn't!"

Cloud glared at Zack but he merely grinned.

"I thought we weren't going to a fancy place," Cloud said, changing the subject.

"Tifa wanted to go. Woman, they just can't make up their minds." Zack laughed. "Just don't let Tifa hear me say that!"

Cloud shrugged. Zack looked at him frowning.

"You still thinking about Aerith?" Zack asked softly. Before Cloud could respond, Tifa's voice rang from the bottom of the steps.

"Hey you two hurry up!" Tifa called.

"Hurry up," Zack said. "If Tifa has to come up here we're going to be on the receiving end of her fists."

Zack was clearly joking. His girlfriend was tough but not a lunatic. As they were about to leave the room, Zack took his arm, stopping him.

"We'll talk later, okay?"

Cloud nodded.

They descended the steps to find Tifa. She looked gorgeous in her black, long sleeved dress that came down to knees. The back had a diamond cut opening and the skirt of the dress was longer in the back than the front.

"Took you two long enough," she complained.

"Sorry, babe," Zack apologized, kissing her briefly, "guy stuff."

"Guy stuff huh?" she asked suspiciously.

"Between me and Cloud," he then said.

Tifa looked skeptically but Zack reassured her with a smile. She smiled back as they walked outside to the car. The three piled into Tifa's car and drove to the restaurant. The place was indeed, fancy. It was very upscale looking place. There was a valet parking and a man who opened the door for people to come in and out. The layout of the outside was charming and inviting. As the three got out of the car, they found Aerith and her sons standing off to the side.

Aerith was telling her sons to stop fussing with their suits but they kept trying to undo their ties. When she looked back up, she spotted her friends. Tifa greeted her first.

"Oh, wow Aerith you look gorgeous," Tifa complimented.

Aerith blushed. "You look wonderful too."

Tifa grinned. Suddenly, the sound of rumbling echoed through the air. The group looked up.

"Oh, I should have brought my umbrella." Aerith said.

"Don't worry, we'll drive you home!" Tifa said. "Now let's get inside."

Tifa was literally dragging Aerith when she linked her arms with her. Zack followed them as he chitchatted with the twins, agreeing with them that suits were not fun to wear. Cloud smirked, silently agreeing with them as well. Especially since he looked the worst. As they entered the lobby of the restaurant host, a very snobbish looking man, stood at a podium.

"Do you have a reservation?" he asked.

"Yes," Tifa answered. "It is under Fair, Zack."

"Yes, a reservation for six," he muttered. He looked at the group, only seeing four people.

"Will the other two be arriving soon?"

"No, they're right here." Tifa said, pointing down to Roxas and Sora.

The host looked over the podium at the two boys. Sora and Roxas gave him each a adorable and innocent grin that would make any normal human being gush at their cuteness. Well, everyone except this man. He looked down at them as if they were little troublemakers.

"We do not allow children in the restaurant." He said, nose in the air.

Aerith gasped. "They are very well behaved!"

However, her protest was ignored. Sora and Roxas glared at the man. They were well behaved, when they wanted to be or when their mom threatened to take away their toys. Aerith tried to persuade this man but he refused to. She sighed after the seventh time the man told her that her sons were not premitted into the restaurant.

Aerith turned to Tifa and Zack. "I'm sorry, I'll go. I don't want to ruin your dinner. Come on boys."

Aerith reached for her sons' hands but instead Zack and Tifa snatched them up. Aerith looked up confusingly.

"Oh, it's my fault I should have asked. You know, you go have dinner on us!" Tifa said, shoving Aerith into the restaurant and then she turned to the host. "Please seat her."

"Wait a minute!" Aerith protested. "I can't eat here by myself with your money!"

Zack nodded in agreement, "You're right! You're absolutely right."

Aerith smiled, glad he could see how stupid it would be for her to eat alone in such a fine place.

Zack then added, "Cloud you eat with her!"

Zack shoved Cloud, nearly knocking him into Aerith. Aerith caught him by the arms. He nearly lost his balance too! Regaining his composer, Cloud spun around ready to protest the dreadfully obvious set up. However, Zack and Tifa with the twins in their arms were already walking off.

"We'll look after Roxas and Sora. Hey boys want to get burgers and get out of these stupid suits?" Zack asked.

The boys cheered ripping off their ties.

"I can't let you take care of my kids!" Aerith protested again.

"Sure you can!" Tifa said. "We watch them all the time and besides it will be good practice for when Zack and I have kids."

Zack's head snapped to her, "Wait what?"

"Never mind honey," she said to Zack before turning her attention to Aerith. "Have _fun _and _get _along you two!"

With that the soon to be bride and groom skipped out the door with the twins. Aerith and Cloud stood there for several minutes. Neither could believe that they did not realize they were being set up sooner. They felt stupid for not realizing it. The host had two menus in his hand and was trying to usher Cloud and Aerith to a table but neither of them were sure if they should actually go and eat.

The two looked at each other than nervously looked away. Cloud looked at the ground while Aerith looked up toward the ceiling. Then they looked at each other again, realizing how uncomfortable the other was with the situation. A memory flickered in Aerith's head about how shy Cloud use to be. He did not seem any different. He was still shy! She smiled.

"Zack said dinner was on them right?" she asked.

Cloud nodded in agreement, still not looking at her.

Her smile widened, "Good, because I am ordering the most expensive thing on the menu."

He turned to her and she was smiling wickedly. A small smile crept at the corners of his mouth but vanished quickly. Together they entered the dining area and were seated at a table near a window. The place was gorgeous. The chairs were plush with satin cream color cushions. The tablecloth matched with very intricate details along the edges. There were candles on the center of the table, already lit. The silverware was polished, the dishes spotless, and the napkins folded in some complicated way.

Aerith and Cloud sat across from one another. The host left the two alone and no sooner when he was gone, a waiter came to ask for their drinks. When that was done, Aerith was skimming through the menu, determined to order something that would teach Zack and Tifa not to do something like this ever again to her. Cloud looked at Aerith, swallowing hard. It was now or never.

"Aerith…" he called.

Her green eyes lifted to meet his blue ones. She tilted her head slightly.

"Yes?"

Cloud smiled again. "You're still the same."

"What do you mean?" she inquired softly.

"You still do that little head tilt."

Aerith blushed slightly. "Well, old habit, right?"

He nodded as she continued, "You still seem shy or is it because you're not surprised to see me anymore."

Cloud looked down.

"I'm joking Cloud."

"I know," he replied quickly. "It's just that…"

"What?"

"I am surprised to see you. It's been almost nine years right?"

She nodded. "Yes, it's been a long time and… it is good to see you again."

"It's good to see you too."

**X, X, X,**


	5. This Choice I Made

Disclaimer- I do not own Final Fantasy VII

**The Promise Rings**

**Chapter 5**

**This Choice I Made  
**

Tifa and Zack sat across from one another as Sora and Roxas were gobbling down their ice cream. They chose a small diner to eat since Sora and Roxas were in a stage of not wanting to eat anything that could be considered healthy. The boys had long abandoned their ties and jackets. They unbuttoned their dress shirt collars so it would no longer choke themas they claimed. Tifa was watching Roxas eating his large chocolate chip ice cream covered in chocolate sauce and sprinkles. He smiled up at her, chocolate all around his mouth.

"Is it good?" Tifa asked.

"Yup!" the golden haired twin said.

Tifa smiled and then looked up at Zack. He was stirring his cup of water with his straw. Tifa reached across the table to hold his hand. Zack smiled.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

Zack shook his head, "Just thinking about Cloud and Aerith."

"What about them?" Tifa wondered. "Do you think they're not going to get along? I doubt they would cause a scene in a public place."

"Not that," he said. "It's just that I wonder why they broke up. They use to date and all and Cloud always talked about her while in SOLDIER."

Tifa shrugged and then looked down at Sora who had finished his ice cream. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He sat back and rubbed his tummy. Zack chuckled as he watched Sora lean back in the booth they were in.

"You full there little buddy?" Zack asked.

"Mhm," Sora said and then added, "Can I have more."

Tifa shook her head. "Your mom would kill us if we gave you too much chocolate. Besides all that sugar will keep you up all night."

Sora frowned and crossed his arms. Sora was hyper enough as is. Tifa and Zack returned to their conversation. Sora looked across the table and watched his brother eating his ice cream still. He eyed the chocolate chip mound greedily. He looked up between Tifa and Zack to make sure they were not paying attention.

"Well, maybe Aerith found someone else she liked," Zack guessed. "She had Sora and Roxas while Cloud was in SOLDIER. Come to think of it Aerith never really mentioned the boys' father."

"Well, it wouldn't be polite to ask," Tifa said as she grabbed Sora's hand. She gave him a warning look before letting him go.

The brunette twin frowned and slumped back in his chair. He let out groan as his brother quietly finished his ice cream. Zack ruffled the brunette's hair which caused him to move under the table to avoid the older man from ruing his hair.

"Well, when I met Aerith she did mention she was single…"

_A younger Tifa Lockhart stood examining her new bar. She was dressed in a short skirt, white midriff bearing shirt, overalls, and tennis shoes. It had taken months to prepare this bar for business and she was anxiously waiting to open the following evening. Tifa had made sure to wash ever glass cup until it sparkled, polish all the furniture until she saw her face, and sweep up ever last speck of dust. Her grand opening would be nothing short of perfect!_

_She held onto her black overalls, running her fingers up and down them as if it were a habit. Inwardly she had herself a chuckle as she dreamt of how absolutely amazing her bar would be. _

_KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!_

_Tifa snapped out of her daydream and spun around to look at the closed door. She scratched her head as she pondered who could be at the front door. When she opened the door, she jumped back as she came face to face with… flowers?_

"_Hello, are you Ms. Tifa Lockhart?" said a voice from behind the flowers._

"_Er… yes," Tifa said. _

_The woman lowered the flowers so her head now visible. She smiled cheerfully as she held up an arrangement of yellow and white lilies. Tifa stared for a moment._

"_This is for you from a Mister Zangan," she said._

"_Oh… OH!" Tifa said, realizing a friend of hers had sent her the arrangement. Probably to congratulate her on her accomplishment. "Please come in!"_

_The woman walked in, brown boots thumping along the hardwood floor. Tifa looked back as the woman followed her. _

"_You can put the flowers up there." She instructed to the woman._

_The woman placed the flowers carefully onto the bar stand before letting out a heavy sigh. She placed her hands on the counter looking as if she just carried a hundred pounds of weight from the door instead of flowers. Tifa wondered if this was the woman's first job, she looked young and rather weak looking. She also wore her hair in a large braid and a pink bow. She looked around her age. Tifa assumed she was probably one of those prissy girls who was forced to get a job. When the girl turned away from the counter Tifa saw a very tired looking girl.  
_

"_Are you alright?" Tifa asked, noticing sweat forming on her brow._

_The girl laughed and handed her the card that went with the flowers. Tifa could tell this girl was very professional but she looked very tired. _

"_It's been a long day," she laughed. "I don't have a car so riding my bike everywhere to deliver arrangements is tiring."_

"_You look as if you have done a marathon!" Tifa blurted out._

_She laughed again, her eyes sparkling. "I think I did."  
_

"_Mommy, mommy!"_

_Tifa turned her head to the door to see a brunette little boy standing at the door bouncing up and down. In his tiny hand, clutched tightly, was a paper._

"_Sora, I thought I told you to wait on the steps." Aerith said. "I told you I would only be a minute."_

"_But mommy!" Sora whined. "You forgot the yellow paper!"_

_The girl before her gasped and then slapped her forehead. She walked over to the little boy who proudly handed her the paper. She patted his head._

"_Thank you, Sora. Mommy needed this paper for this nice lady to sign."_

_Tifa stared. This woman was a mother? She looked so younger, around her age and the boy looked as if he were four or five years old. The boy smile proudly as he stood strait up, head held high. His mother affectionately patted his head again._

"_You're his mother?" Tifa gasped. "You're so young."_

_Mentally slapping herself, Tifa bowed apologetically for speaking her mind. She felt she might have even offended the woman._

"_I get that a lot for being a young single mother," she chuckled, handing Tifa the yellow paper. "Actually, Sora is one of my sons."_

"_Two?" Tifa signed the paper. "You have two kids?  
_

_She nodded, "Roxas come here sweetheart." _

_A golden haired boy climbed the wooden steps to the bar door and walked in. He looked up at his mommy sadly._

"_I told Sora not to come in," he said. His azure eyes looked sad, worried he might get punished because his brother came inside._

_Tifa watched until she felt Sora tugging at her hand. She looked down to see Sora smiling up at her._

"_You're pretty." He said bluntly. "Roxas said he saw you from the window and said you were pretty too."_

_Roxas turned completely red. "I DID NOT!"_

_Tifa gushed. These two boys had to be the most surgery sweet kids she ever met. The were beyond adorable to her._

"_Your boys are so cute!" Tifa complimented._

_The mother smiled warmly. It was then she took note of the woman in front of her. Her clothes seemed old fashion, maybe homemade. Her hands had minor cuts on them and her nails were not long. Her boots looked old and worn as well. Yet, the twins looked well nourished and properly taken care of. This woman must have had it rough caring for two twin boys and being a single mother. It was painfully obvious to Tifa that this woman worked hard for her children and gave them everything she could before herself. Tifa wanted to ask what happened to the father but found it to be too rude to say. Tifa held out her hand to shake the mother's._

"_Tifa Lockhart," she introduced herself formally._

"_Aerith Gainsborough!"_

"And that's how I met Tifa," Aerith said. "She thought they were so adorable. Of course, they had her eating out of the palm of their little hands. They got her to make them milkshakes after they began crying about how hot it was."

From across the table, Cloud was drinking an expensive wine courtesy of Zack's wallet. When he put down his glass he smirked.

"Well it was summer and they were riding bikes." Cloud pointed out.

"I felt terrible having to take them so far but I didn't have anyone that could really babysit them until I met Tifa. She is a life savior. I've never met someone I could count on more than her. She even rented out one of the rooms in her house for me when I got kicked out of my apartment."

"She does seem sweet," Cloud nodded. "I can see what Zack sees in her."

"Yes, and when Zack met Tifa she had the boys and he was sucking up to them. He thought Sora and Roxas were her kids. Sora and Roxas just let him spoil them with toys and ice cream until I came to pick them up. The boys adore Zack and really look up to him."

Cloud smirked. Everyone seemed to look up to Zack. Even he did back in SOLDIER. Back then he and Zack had a strong friendship. The friendship lasted even after Zack left and started a new life here in Midgar. The older man always kept in touch with Cloud, seeing that they were best friends. That is why he made him his best man, obviously.

Aerith ate her dinner. Cloud looked at her nervously. She looked radiant. It had been so long since he actually talked to her or even looked at her. He forgot how nervous she made him. Yet, he loved how warm her smile made him. He wondered how hard it must have been raising the twins. He would have asked but Aerith beat him to the punch with her own question.

"So what have you been up to Cloud?" Aerith inquired.

"I work as a delivery boy," Cloud replied. "After Zack left SOLDIER I left a few months later."

Aerith nodded, "So I take it you and Zack were very close?"

"He helped me get through basic training. Of course, Zack made everything look easy. He use to show off a lot for the ladies but he's a good guy."

Aerith agreed. "Like I said, Roxas and Sora love him. I'm glad Zack is around. I think they need a male figure around. My father died when the boys were two in an accident and mom died shortly after."

"Oh," Cloud said looking down. "I'm sorry. Your parents were always nice."

True, Aerith's mother was a sweetheart and very loving. She would always be baking something for Cloud to eat when he came over. She knew how hard it was for him and his own mother and was always kind enough to share. Her father was a good man but very overprotective of his daughter. When Cloud and Aerith started dating her father gave him the third degree on the first date.

"It's okay." Aerith replied. "It's been rough but I managed to pull through."

Cloud nodded and cracked a small smile. The two finished their meal and thanks to Zack did not have to pay the five hundred gil for it. The two walked out into the night. As they stepped onto the sidewalk, the rumbling sound of thunder echoed. Aerith looked up and frowned. Cloud followed the suit and stared at the very dark sky.

"It's going to rain soon," Aerith declared.

"Obviously," Cloud said.

"Oh, I hope the Roxas is alright. He is such a light sleeper."

Cloud looked at her, "Is he afraid of thunder?"

Aerith nodded slightly, "He gets frightened easy when something wakes him up in the night. Sora could sleep through anything. Even when they were babies, Sora would sleep well even if Roxas woke up crying in the night."

"They're good kids."

"They really are," Aerith agreed. "I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world. I hope Zack didn't spoil them. He always has to spoils them with treats."

Cloud grimaced. He did not like the idea of Zack spoiling the twins. Not that he disliked Zack for it but Cloud felt he should be the one to do it. The twins looked just like him. Aerith and he did the deed and she was working hard. It was not fair for her to be working for the twins without help. She had done for eight years; the least he could do was start now.

Thunder rumbled through the night air and Aerith groaned. Cloud looked at her and smiled. He could tell she was wishing she had brought her umbrella. She began rummaging through her purse for something.

"I better call Tifa to pick us up or we'll get soaked!"

"Aerith," Cloud said as she searched.

"Hm?"

"Don't you think Sora and Roxas need… well someone to look after them?"

Aerith smirked, "Of course they have someone looking after them. They have me! I am their mother."

"No, what I mean is like a father."

She stopped the rummaging to look at Cloud. The smirk on her face fell into confusion. Cloud stared at her, his sapphire eyes shining. Aerith swallowed a lump that formed in her throat.

"I want to be apart of their life, your life." Cloud said, seriously.

"What are you saying?" she asked nervously.

Cloud took her hands into his. Aerith looked down, seeing his gloves still on his hands. They were gentle but warm against hers. Thunder clapped, causing Aerith to look up at the sky before she returned her eyes to Cloud. She licked her suddenly dry lips Cloud's sapphire orbs stared into her emerald ones. Her eyes were nervous while his were serious, focused.

"I want to be apart of Sora and Roxas's life. I want to be their father. I know I am their father and they deserve one. I promise to be a good father to them."

Aerith gasped. She took a step back from Cloud but found him refusing to let go of her hands. His grip on hers was firm but completely gentle. She continued to stare at Cloud her lower lip quivering as she tried to speak. A drop of water smacked her on the cheek. Cloud smiled and brought his hand up her cheek to brush it away but Aerith moved away from him. Cloud stared at her, confusion growing on his face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Aerith's hand trembled as she brought it up to her chest. She looked down at the ground. After a few moments, she looked at Cloud her eyes distraught. Cloud moved toward her but Aerith backed away. Another raindrop hit her one the head this time.

"Cloud, you're _not_ their father."

Cloud's eyes widened slightly. Did he hear her right? His voice was shaky as he spoke his next sentence, "What…?"

"Sora and Roxas are _seven_ _years old_."

Cloud felt the color drain from his face as he dropped Aerith's hand. Aerith let her hand hang at her side, as she looked back down to the ground unable to look at Cloud. The spiky-haired man was shaking his head slowly. This made no sense. It could not be true. He stared at his once girlfriend in utter disbelief. They did the deed. They had sex! Those two boys had HIS eyes. He knew it.

"You're lying..." He whispered. "They have my eyes… Roxas looks just like me!"

"Cloud!" Aerith said sharply, still not facing him. "You're not the father."

"You're lying!" he accused again.

She snapped her head up glaring at him. Then she opened her mouth and said in the coldest tone possible, "There are other blond haired, blue eyed men in the world, Cloud. _Not just you_."

There was silence as more raindrops began to fall, splattering on the ground and on them. Aerith looked back down at the ground unwilling to face Cloud anymore. She knew if she looked, it would be too painful to bear it.

Cloud clenched his fists, the hurt in his eyes immense. His insides twisted painfully. His heart tightened. It hurt, hurt so much that he wanted to rip it out. He tried to say things but nothing came out for the longest time. Water began to pour on them harder but he never stopped looking at her. His body felt numb and he wanted to say so much but he could not. Then when he finally got over the shock he began to slowly shake his head at the woman before him. His face twisted from disbelief to hurt and then to anger. He opened his mouth and he cursed loud enough for Aerith to hear him over the rain and she flinched.

"How could you?" he seethed. "I can't believe you! I can't believe you would do that. I can't even look at you!"

Cloud stormed off into the rain. Aerith stood there allowing the rain to fall down upon her. She did not look up to look at Cloud knowing how badly she just hurt him.

Tifa and Zack were sitting at the bar, just after putting the twins to bed. They were talking quietly about the wedding when Cloud burst in, drenched. Both Zack and Tifa jumped. Startled, they looked at Cloud who moved across the floor, his shoes squishing and leaving a trail of water behind him.

"Cloud," Zack called out to him, worried.

Cloud ignored him and began to head up the stairs. Zack moved from around the bar, followed by Tifa. The older man caught him just before he could ascend the steps. He grabbed him by the arm. Cloud rudely pulled away. Before he could get away Zack grabbed him by the arm again and dragged him back.

Cloud looked back at him and Zack's eyes widened. The look on Cloud's face was so cold that Zack took a step back but he never let go of his friend's arm.

"Cloud, what the heck is going on?" Zack asked worried. "Why didn't you call for us to pick you up?"

He remained silent.

Tifa gasped, "Wait, where's Aerith?"

At the sound of her name, Cloud snapped and pushed Zack off him before storming up the stairs. Zack stumbled backward into Tifa. When he regained his balance he called after his friend only to be met with a cold shoulder and a door slam.

"You don't think they got into another fight?" Zack asked.

"Oh no… I have to go find Aerith," Tifa said, grabbing her coat.

"I'll try and talk to Cloud," Zack said, beginning to climb the stairs.

She ran out the door leaving Zack to deal with Cloud. When Zack reached the top of the stairs he was about to barge into Cloud's room when he heard the door to the second guest bedroom open. He turned around to see Roxas rubbing his eyes.

"Uncle Zack," he called softly. "Why is everyone slamming doors?"

Zack smiled and knelt down to the boy's level. He ruffled his hair affectionately.

"Sorry, did we wake you up?" Zack asked.

Roxas nodded.

"Think you can go back to sleep?"

"Is someone mad?" Roxas asked.

Zack smiled, "No, no one is mad. Here, how about I tuck you back in?"

He lifted the boy up and carried him back into the room. Sora was still sleeping, sprawled out on his bed with his covers on the floor and his pillow clutched in his arms. He sat Roxas down on his bed and he lay back down. Zack tucked him in tightly and patted his head, hoping he would fall back asleep soon. He did not want to talk to Cloud if he was awake and might hear an argument break out. He especially did not want to either of the twins to hear Cloud say anything negative about their mother. With the way Cloud look, Zack was sure he had many things to say and not one good.

Tifa on the other hand was driving through the rain toward the restaurant. She had tried to reach Aerith at her apartment but she never picked up so she assumed she was still in the area of the restaurant. When she drove past the place she could find no sign of Aerith. She drove down the block and found her sitting on a bench at the bus stop. Tifa stopped her truck and got out with her umbrella. She rushed to Aerith holding the umbrella up over her.

"Aerith," she breathed a sigh of relief, "what are you doing out here in the rain? You'll get sick!"

Aerith kept her head down, her hands folding together tightly. She was completely drenched, possible even more so than Cloud had been. Tifa took her hand in an attempt to get her to stand. Aerith did not budge.

"Come on Aerith! I'll take you home and you can tell me what you and Cloud were arguing about. I'm getting sick of this really. Can't you two get along for mine and Zack's sake?"

"Tifa," Aerith said softly. "I hurt Cloud."

"Huh? What do you mean? You slapped him?"

Aerith shook her head.

"How did you hurt him? Did you bruise his ego?"

She shook her head again.

"I hurt him so bad that I couldn't even look at him." Aerith said, still not looking up. "I hurt him and he hates me… I'd hate me too."

"Cloud doesn't hate you," Tifa cried. "It's just a misunderstanding, right?"

"He asked me if Sora and Roxas are his… our children. I couldn't even look him in the eyes and tell him no…"

"Aerith, if they are not his then you couldn't lie to him."

Aerith laughed pathetically. "How could I hurt him like that? I'm so stupid… so stupid."

Tifa placed her hand on her friend's shoulder. Aerith lifted her head to look at Tifa. The raven haired girl's eyes widened slightly. The rain slid down the girl's face but the look in her emerald green eyes said it all. Tifa could tell by the look in the eyes, how much it hurt, Tifa reached over and wrapped her arms around her friend. The brunette rested her head on her friends shoulder, a soft sob escaping as she cried with the rain.

**X, X, X,**


	6. This Lie, This Truth

**The Promise Rings**

**Chapter 6**

**This Lie, This Truth  
**

Aerith sat in her apartment, her hair damp and her body wrapped in a fluffy pink robe. It had taken Tifa minutes to pry Aerith from the bus stop bench and several more minutes to drive her home. The mother seemed so distraught that had Tifa not been at her side, the raven-haired girl was sure she would never have made it inside her apartment. She sat on her couch, staring into a mug of tea that her best friend prepared for her. The steam ascended up, and the emerald-eyed girl seemed lost within the depths of the liquid.

All she could imagine was what Cloud's face looked like when she spoke those hurtful words. _He was not their father_. How could she betray him like that? The very thought of that made her heart twist painfully. Her insides burned with guilt. She wanted to tear her heart from her chest. It hurt. She was hurting all over again. Just like eight years ago, when he left she was also hurting. Now, she managed to be hurt again.

It took her so long to forget about Cloud, to forget about his touch, and his kisses. She had to forget about everything. She used to dream about him, next to her and holding her. Yet, when she awoke, she found herself alone. It killed her. When Sora and Roxas were born, she wiped him from her mind. No longer could she live in the past. She could no longer pine for him because she had two sons whom she loved more than anything in the world. They deserved everything because they were her future.

Why did he have to return? Why did he return now of all times? Her life was so perfect. She had her children, her job, and her friends. Now he had to return and unearth things she buried long ago.

Tifa came out of Aerith's kitchen holding a cordless phone in her hand. She lifted her eyes to her friend, just moments ago getting off the phone with her fiancé. While Aerith was in tears, Zack found Cloud in a fit of rage. He refused to talk, refused to listen. Tifa moved around the coffee table and sat down upon it in front of Aerith. She cupped her friend's hands before taking the mug away. The brown-haired woman looked up, her eyes glazed with tears.

"Aerith," Tifa gently whispered. "Please tell me what happened between you and Cloud. I can't stand seeing you like this."

Aerith lowered her eyes, which found the mug of tea on the table. After a moment, she looked back up at Tifa and shook her head very slightly.

"I hurt him," she whispered back.

Tifa breathed, wanting to ask the question that nagged her from the back of her mind. It was almost too hard to ask but she needed to.

"Is Cloud, is he... Sora and Roxas's father?"

Aerith did not respond. She kept her head low, her eyes hidden behind her wispy brown bangs. Tifa clasped her hands once again, giving her a gentle and yet reassuring squeeze.

"If he is, Cloud has a right to know. Sora and Roxas have a right to know as well."

Aerith was quiet but Tifa could feel her hands trembling beneath her own. A series of sobs escaped Aerith as she looked up at Tifa. Tears streamed down her face. Her eyes become puffy and red in the matter of seconds. Tifa released a gasp. Seeing Aerith like this was uncommon. She had always been so strong. She was a single working mother of twins who took each adversity and conquered them. Yet, now she looked so weak so vulnerable.

"Cloud isn't their father," Aerith said, her voice wavering. "I was so hurt that I did something… something I regret.

Tifa asked softly, "You slept with someone else?"

"...Yes, and I had Roxas and Sora. It was a one-night stand! When it started, I didn't care but afterward I regretted it. I hate myself for it but… I can't tell Cloud they are his when they're… not…"

Aerith burst into fresh tears. Tifa leaned forward and embraced her friend. Aerith sobbed into her friend's shoulder. Tifa gently stroked her back trying to comfort her. The raven-haired girl was unsure she could fully understand Aerith's choices. Yet, she could not hate her or be disappointed with her. She only wished things could be easier for her.

Half and hour later, Aerith finally calmed down. Tifa stated she would watch the boys for the night and tomorrow while she was at work. Aerith thanked her friend. The mother did not want to cry in front of her children or make them worry for her.

"Will you be all right?" Tifa asked standing in the doorway, ready to leave.

Aerith nodded, "I have to be."

"Don't hesitate to call me if you need anything." Tifa said before giving her friend another embrace. "I am here for you."

"Thank you," Aerith murmured.

Tifa turned to leave and walked out into the hallway. She gave Aerith a small smile for reassurance before going on her way. The brown-haired woman closed the door to her apartment. She stood facing the front door before she fell against it, crying for the millionth time that night. She was sure she would cry for the rest of the night until her tear ducts were dried out. Yet, even if she did stop crying, it would not stop the aching pain within her heart.

She slipped down to the floor, her legs like jelly and too weak to support her. She wrapped her arms around her and let out an anguish cry as if something cut her, and maybe something did deep within her heart.

"Cloud, I'm sorry." She wept, "I'm so sorry."

**X, X, X,**

The next morning, Roxas and Sora awoke oblivious to everything that ensued with the grownups. They got out of the guest beds and ran down the stairs in their pajamas looking for breakfast. Secretly, they loved eating at Tifa's place since she made the best chocolate chip pancakes they had ever had. When they reached the kitchen, they found Zack and Tifa talking quietly to one another.

The moment the grownups saw the two children, they screwed up their faces putting on smiles that looked genuine. Sora launched himself at Zack, who gathered him up in his arms. Sora grinned while his brother remained on the ground.

"Uncle Zack," Sora said, "I had this dream where I had this sword and it looked like a giant key and I was fighting monsters like you did."

"Sounds like a good dream!" Zack laughed.

Sora beamed and added, "But now I'm hungry. Can Aunt Tifa make us chocolate chip pancakes?"

Zack arched an eyebrow, "I don't know, ask Aunt Tifa?"

"Oh yeah," Sora turned to Tifa grinning widely. Tifa could not help but smirk at his large grin. It made him look precious.

"Aunt Tifa will you make chocolate chip pancakes?"

Tifa nodded and ruffled his hair.

"Sure thing," she said, "while I make breakfast why don't you and your brother get washed up and dressed."

Sora slid down from Zack's embrace and onto the floor. He ran past his brother and bounded up the stairs so he could get back in time and get the first batch of pancakes. Roxas looked up at the adults. Tifa inclined her head toward the kid.

"Yes," she asked.

"Uncle Cloud slammed the door last night again," he remarked. "Then Uncle Zack said something. I just wanted to know what that word means."

"What did he say?"

He tried to recall it, "He said fuh… fa…"

Tifa's eyes widened realizing what the golden-haired boy was about to say. Zack caught her look and instantly placed his hand over the little boy's mouth before he could repeat it.

"Roxas you better go upstairs and get ready or your brother might get all the pancakes. _Hurry and forget I ever said anything_."

Zack pushed the boy out of the kitchen, closing the door behind him. However, when he faced Tifa he found her glaring at him.

"I can't believe you Zack!" Tifa scolded. "You know what Aerith is going to do to us if her son repeats that to her?"

"Don't blame me; Cloud slammed the door on my foot last night. It hurt like hell."

Tifa groaned. "Cloud may have a right to be upset but that does not give him the right to slam doors OR you the right to swear in front of children."

"I thought he fell back asleep!" Zack said, trying to defend his use of foul language.

Tifa rubbed her face in frustration before turning around to start breakfast. If tension were not high enough between Cloud and Aerith now, Aerith would blow a gasket if she heard either of her sons' cussing. Now the ebony-haired girl wondered if this day could get any worse.

Upstairs, Sora had finished washing up and putting on his clothes He was combing his unruly hair when he heard shuffling and the sound of something slamming in the room across the hall from his. He threw the comb onto his dresser before he bounded to the room where Cloud was staying in. Without bothering to knock on the door, he opened it a crack so he could peek inside.

Inside, he found Cloud pulling all his clothing and other belongings from their places in the closet and drawers. He began dumping them into his suitcase, not bothering to fold them. He was furious. No, he was beyond furious. He felt betrayed.

He shoved the rest of his things in the suitcase, which now looked like a large mound of laundry. He tried to shut the case but it would not work. Frustrated, he tried to flatten his clothing but it still did not do any good. When that did not work, Cloud threw his clothes all around the room letting out an angered cry. He seethed, breathing heavily with his hands clenching and unclenching. He wanted to hit something, a wall, the dresser, the window, anything that could hurt him or be broken. He wanted something to block out the anger and pain within him.

"Wow, my mom never lets me throw my clothes around," Sora said from behind.

Cloud spun around to see Sora picking up a shirt and throwing it in the air. He laughed and proceeded to do it again. Before he could, Cloud snatched the garment from the kid and shoved it in his suitcase.

"How come you're throwing things?"

Cloud tried hard not to curse or say anything horrible about the boy's mother. He wanted to say nasty things but to upset a kid would just make him cruel. Besides, this situation had nothing to do with Sora, well sort of. Sora and Roxas were Aerith's children, not his. It irritated him to no end. It hurt him to no end that his once girlfriend would just fall into the arms of another man, another man that had flaxen hair and blue eyes. Was she that pathetic that she would make love to another man that was similar to him in looks?

He looked down at Sora who was now tossing one of Cloud's undershirts in the air. Cloud caught the shirt from the boy who let out a groan before crossing his arms in disappointment.

"I wasn't throwing things. I was packing." Cloud explained, trying once again to pack his suitcase.

"Why, are you packing?"

"I'm leaving."

"Why are you leaving?"

Cloud grimaced. Figures Aerith's kid had to be a curious one. The boy smiled brightly waiting for an answer.

"I'm leaving because I want to."

Sora scratched his head, pondering the thought. "But, Aunt Tifa's wedding is in a few days. You are supposed to be there."

"Well, I don't want to and I don't have to!" Cloud argued, childlike.

Sora frowned and watched as Cloud finished sorting his clothes in the suitcase. He then zipped it up.

"Will you come back?" Sora asked, climbing onto the bed.

Cloud shrugged.

"Will you come back for my birthday? Well it's not just my birthday it's mine and Roxas's birthday too."

Cloud rolled his eyes. "Sorry, but I think I'll be busy then."

"But, I'll have a big chocolate cake!" Sora tried to tempt him. "Mom said she would buy me a sword too. Don't you want to see it?"

Sora was standing on the bed now, excited. Cloud sighed. He thought of something quickly so it would quiet and satisfy the boy.

"I have work to do. How about I send you a birthday card?"

Sora pondered for a moment. "Okay but spell my name right… it's S-O-R-A."

Cloud picked up his suitcase. He turned to leave wanting nothing more than to go back to his home and leave his horrible city and his memories behind. He could hear Sora bounding off the bed as he reached the door. He turned over his shoulder to see the bright-eyed boy smiling.

"Well, later kid and happy eighth birthday."

Cloud stepped out of the room.

"Ninth."

A few seconds passed. Cloud returned to the room.

"What did you say?"

Sora crossed his arms, annoyed and clearly offended. "I'm already EIGHT! I'm going to be NINE years old."

Sora stared at Cloud annoyed as if the man should have known his age. Cloud on the other hand stared at the boy completely stunned.

_Sora and Roxas_ _are seven years old._

_I'm already EIGHT! I'm going to be NINE years old._

Cloud dropped the suitcase in his hand. It landed with a loud thump. His eyes were wide like saucers and his mouth hung open. The twins were eight years old going on nine. They were not seven. That would mean that Aerith lied. _She lied._

In mere moments, the shock on Cloud's face evaporated and in it's place was a mask of fury. His jaw clenched and eyebrows knitted together. Sora looked up at the man in confusion, wondering why he looked angry and even wondered if it was his fault. Before the boy could ask, Cloud fled from the room. He bounded down the stairs three at a time and burst out the door. He sprinted away before anyone could call out to him.

Zack and Tifa emerged from the kitchen with Roxas as Sora came down the stairs. The three looked at the brunette boy questionably but he held ups his hands, just as confused as the rest of them.

Outside the flower shop, Aerith Gainsborough was digging inside her purse for her shop keys. She had arrived later than usual to the shop due to the events from last night. It took all her energy to push the memories aside and come to work. She needed money to support the two most important people in her life, her sons.

Aerith fumbled as she looked for her keys, buried beneath the other articles in her bag. It took her mere moments to find out that her keys were at the very bottom.

"Aha," she said softly spotting them.

However, before she could fish them out, a hand clamped around her shoulder and she was spun around. Aerith gasped as she saw a furious Cloud glaring at you. He was breathing heavily, due to the running he had done to get here. Aerith was in complete shock to see him. She did not expect to see him after last night at all.

"Cloud, what are you doing here?" she asked, startled.

"I just had a very informative conversation with _your_ son." He seethed. "He told me something quite interesting. He told me he was turning _nine years old_, not eight. I think you owe me an explanation"

Aerith felt her blood run cold and her face paled. She opened her mouth to speak but Cloud did not even give her a chance to explain.

"YOU LIAR!" he snapped angrily. "They are my children, our children! You knew the whole time and lied to me! Why? Did you ever think I had a right to know? WELL? Answer me!"

Aerith had been too stunned to respond. Her lower lip was quivering. When she did not reply, Cloud screamed into her face again, forcing her to flinch and move away.

"Answer me!"

Aerith rounded on him.

"Yes! Sora and Roxas are your children!" she cried.

For a moment, the two looked at each other and Cloud saw the tears at the brim. Then she was gone. She dashed away from him, down the street and unable to look at him. It took a moment before Cloud realized he should follow.

Aerith blindly crossed a street but when Cloud attempted, he was nearly plowed over by a car, which angrily honked their horn at him. Cloud gasped and looked past the car and noticed Aerith still running. He shouted out to her but she either did not hear or care to listen.

Cloud watched as the brunette darted around a corner as he finally made it across the street. He dodged the other people walking across the sidewalks to catch up, since she stuck out like a sore thumb amongst a sea of grays and blacks. Several times, he had to backtrack and he would catch a glimpse of the girl ducking into an alley to get past him. He called out to her several times and he could have sworn she looked over her shoulder to see how close he was.

Despite all the running, Cloud found it hard to catch up to her. She new the area and was smart enough to escape down an ally to put some distance between them but there was one thing Aerith forgotten. He knew this game and he won it the first time she acted like this.

The brunette looked over to see Cloud nowhere in view. She lost him. Aerith ran down a long ally before she came to a chain-linked fence. She skidded to a halt, catching herself before she slipped through the rather large hole in the fence. Bottles and other litter cluttered the area all along the alleyway. Breathing heavily, she looked pass the fence and noticed the murky water that ran through the city. Aerith breathed and took a step back, afraid of falling down the slope to the sewage water. Deciding it is better to turn around; she did only to come face to face with Cloud.

"Stop running from me." He panted

Aerith jumped back, her foot slipping on a glass bottle. Her foot flew from under her and she screamed as she felt her body falling backwards through the chain-link fence. Cloud's eyes widened and instantly he leaped after her. He caught the woman in his arms and the two went tumbling down the sleek slope toward the murky sewage water. Cloud dragged his right hand and the heels of his feet against the ground. The left hand lay protectively over the brunette's head. Dust and dirt kicked up as the two rolled down the slope before stopping at the edge.

For a moment, all was silent. Then finally, the muscles that had tightened in Cloud's body relaxed and he let out a long sigh of relief. His hand moved from the back of Aerith's head where it was protectively holding her to him. The female was curled against him, hands clutching at his shirt. Aerith's hands trembled slightly as she looked up at Cloud, fear and tears still in her eyes.

"Are you always going to do this instead of talking to me?" Cloud asked, hoping it would lighten the mood.

Aerith sat up, scooting off Cloud. The two sat next to one another in silence for a long time, covered in dirt and dust. Finally, Cloud spoke more gently then he did when he faced her earlier.

"Can we talk?"

Aerith nodded, her bangs shielding her face.

**X, X, X,**

The two had made their way back to Aerith's apartment. The two decided to clean up instead of stitting filth. Cloud showered in a second bathroom, the one the twins used. He could tell by the towels, which had cartoon looking characters on them and the bright colored toothbrushes that sat in cups on the sink. He showered quickly, and when he finished he found his clothes already clean and waiting for him outside the bathroom door. He changed and came out of the bathroom to find Aerith in the kitchen preparing tea.

Her long hair was loose, slightly damp from her own shower. She was wrapped in her puffy pink robe and slippers. Beneath the coat, he could see a small sight of pink, different from the dress she had been wearing.

Finishing pouring the tea, she whispered, "Have a seat."

Cloud took a seat at the kitchen table and Aerith handed him a steaming mug. The mug had yellow tulips all over the cup, and the handle itself was in the shape of a flower and stem. Cloud looked at the cup, wondering if he could have received a different one. The cup, the one Aerith was holding, said, "I love mommy" on it. He was sure she would not let him use that one.

They were quiet for a moment and then another.

"So…" Cloud said, unsure what to say.

"So…" Aerith repeated, staring at the tea in her mug.

"Why did you lie to me?" Cloud asked.

Aerith shrugged, "I guess I thought it would be for the best."

Cloud tried hard not to raise his voice. He did not want to argue or end up arguing. All he wanted was answers.

"Best for whom?"

Aerith shook her head. "In honestly, I don't know. I thought my, our sons would be. I thought it would be best for me."

Cloud clenched his fist. "What about me?"

"What about you?" she asked.

"I have a right to know my own sons!" Cloud demanded. "They have a right to know their own father."

Aerith sighed, getting up.

"How am I supposed to explain this? How do I tell Sora and Roxas that their father who they never met is now here? I can't thrust you into their lives and then be heartbroken! How can I… they rely on you?"

Cloud rounded the table and touched her shoulder.

"I'm here and I want to be here for them. Don't you think if I knew I would have been their for them. I want to be there for them, I really do." He turned her around to face him. "I want to be here for you too."

Her emerald eyes found his sapphire eyes, looking at her softly. Cloud's hands rested on her slender shoulders and he moved closer wanting to, needing to kiss her. Aerith felt the distance close between them and before he could kiss her lips she turned her cheek to him. Cloud stumbled. His lips brushed over her smooth cheek. Opening his eyes, he watched the look on her face. It was a mixture of distress and confusion.

"What is it?" he questioned.

She shook her head while saying, "I cannot do this." She turned away.

"What do you mean?"

"Cloud, I'll let you be there for the boys but… that is all."

Cloud looked at her back, her hands gripping her arms tightly as if it were the only way to control her emotions. Cloud clenched his fist, his gloves making a soft swishing noise.

"Why won't you let me be there for you?" he bluntly asked.

Aerith turned around.

"Look at me Cloud, really look at me." He stared, not understanding what he was meant to look at. She could read it on his face.

Aerith breathed, "I moved on. I have a job, I have children, I have my own place, I have my own life and this life _doesn't_ involve you."

Aerith lowered her eyes. Cloud stared at her for a moment and then at her apartment. It was well furnished and yet very cozy. He could see how well organized his ex-girlfriend was with her children and how hard she worked to make this life, a life he was never apart of. How could he be apart of it?

The brunette woman wanted to say something. What could she say in such silence? Would "sorry" be the right thing to say? What could she say to make this any better and yet show him she had moved on? Cloud was her past. Her children are her future.

"When can I tell them?"

Aerith looked up at Cloud. He had an awkward smile on his face as he stared off to the side, scratching the back of his head in the process.

"I would like to tell Sora and Roxas that I am their father."

"Oh, yes, of course," Aerith agreed, "Well, I think it be best if I talk to them first. Prepare them for it. I don't want them to think you ran off from them or something."

Cloud nodded slowly. "So, later, tonight then?"

"Around six would be great. We can sit and have dinner with the boys and tell them."

"I guess… I'll see you then."

"I guess so," she concurred softly.

Cloud awkwardly walked away, wanting to say more but unable to. He finally would be introduced to his sons. He would finally meet his twin sons properly. When he returned to Tifa's bar, he found the boys playing outside, chasing one another with their pretend swords (sticks). He watched them closely, surprised that these two were indeed his children. How could he doubt it? They were indeed spitting images of him, Roxas more so.

When the children spotted him, Sora ran up to him while Roxas remained a little ways behind. He smiled and asked the older man why he ran off so fast. Cloud answered with a pathetic "no reason," before returning to his room. He avoided Zack and Tifa for the time being. He still needed time to soak all this in.

Sora and Roxas are his children. He is a father. Many questions bombarded him. What was he suppose to do? This was all so sudden. Was he supposed to bring them gifts for all the missed birthdays and holidays? Was he supposed to take them out for father son bonding? How should he even introduce himself to his own children? Would the twins even accept him? Worry filled Cloud, making him stare at his hands as he sat on his bed on the second floor. His eyes lingered on the left hand. While questions filled his head, there was still one question that lingered.

Would Aerith ever accept him?

She claimed she moved on but deep down he wished it were not true. He wanted to be with her just as much as he wanted to be with his children. If only she did too.

**X, X, X,**

**Author Note**- Sorry for the late update. I have been busy with starting school. Thanks for waiting and being patient.


	7. This Acceptance

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Final Fantasy VII or KingdomHearts

**The Promise Rings**

**Chapter 7**

**This Acceptance  
**

"Roxas, Sora I need you two to wash up for dinner." Aerith called out to her sons.

A chorus of moans came from her sons' bedroom. She could hear them dragging their feet across the carpet as they walked into the bathroom. Aerith nervously stirred the pasta on the stove. She was extremely nervous about tonight. Cloud would be over at any minute. She still had not even discussed to her sons that he would be joining them. She wanted to but she was afraid. How would her sons react to knowing that they had a father? Would they be upset that had not told them sooner? In addition, would they even accept Cloud as their father who they had never known?

Her sons marched out of the bathroom for the inspection. Aerith always made sure her sons had clean hands before dinner. She took both of their hands in hers and inspected them. Satisfied with their scrubbing she let go and patted them each affectionately on the head.

"I need you two to set the table," Aerith said, "For four people."

Sora looked up at her questionably. "Is Aunt Tifa coming for dinner?"

Their mother shook her head. "No, no Cloud will be joining us for dinner."

Roxas tugged on his mom's apron. Aerith looked at him.

"How come?" He asked.

Aerith smiled. "Well, Cloud and I have something important to talk to you two about. Now I want you two on your best behavior, alright?"

The twins looked at one another before nodding. The quietly set the table as Aerith continued stirring the pasta. A minute later, there was a knock on the door. Aerith jumped slightly. Nervously, she put down her wooden spoon. She quickly tore off her apron and placed it on a peg. She walked to the door and after straightening her dress, she took a deep breath. After a moment, she grasped the handle and opened the door.

Sure enough, there stood Cloud. He looked awkward and nervous at the same time. He scratched the back of his head and managed to smile, albeit a very small one. Aerith gave him a very nervous smile before moving aside to allow him in. He stepped inside and walked passed her and into the apartment. Once inside, Sora bombarded him, eager to see him

"Cloud," Sora said. "You missed me fighting off a monster today."

"It wasn't real." Roxas muttered, which caused his twin to glare at him.

"Boys," Aerith interrupted. "We're going to eat now."

The twins quickly headed for the table. Cloud looked at her and she turned to enter the kitchen. Cloud followed her, watching her pick up her wooden spoon to give the pasta one last stir.

"Did you tell them?" Cloud asked softly.

Aerith shook her head, "I was waiting for you. I think it would be best if we told them together."

Cloud nodded. He awkwardly shifted before saying, "Do you need any help… with the food I mean?"

Aerith shook her head. "No thank you. Now go sit down while I bring in the food."

Cloud found the table where the twins were sitting, waiting patiently for food. They sat next to one another. Cloud took the seat nearest Sora, finding him more anxious than the other twin. He thought he would make Roxas uncomfortable since the blond twin seemed more nervous or scared around him. He did not want to make his son uncomfortable.

Son, a word that still sounded awkward in Cloud's head. Roxas was his son. Sora was his son. It would have been hard to believe he had one son but to have two, it was a lot to take in. Yet, they were his and they would soon know. It made the older man nervous. He wanted them to accept him, even though he had never been there.

When Aerith served dinner, Cloud hardly ate. His stomach was in knots and it did not take Aerith long to figure out why. To her, Cloud was easy to read. Then again, she was equally nervous. How would her sons react to knowing this man was their father? She never spoke of him to her children and now all of a sudden to spring this on them seemed frightening. Would they be angry with her? Would they be angry at Cloud?

"Sora, Roxas," Aerith said gently. "I have something… that is Cloud and I have something very important to tell you."

"We don't get dessert?" Sora asked, sounding disappointment.

Aerith shook her head. "Sora, I am being serious."

"I am serious," Sora moaned. "Last time you said you had something important to say I had no dessert because I broke aunt Tifa's window. It wasn't my fault though. The ball just went that way."

"Sora, you are not in trouble," Aerith said. "Now please listen to what I… we have to say."

Sora closed his mouth and looked at his twin. He was almost positive he would get no dessert. Aerith looked at Cloud, wanting his reassurance. Cloud nodded, telling her he was ready to spring the news on the boys. Aerith took a deep breath and mentally said a prayer to help her through this.

"Boys," she began. "I want you to know I love you very much. I have never told you this but you have the right to know. I know you've asked a few times and I never gave you a clear answer but…"

The twins looked nervous, looking between the adults. Aerith glanced at Cloud again, biting her lip nervously.

"Sora, Roxas I want you to meet your father, Cloud."

The room was silent. The twins were shell-shocked. Their eyes were wide, mouths slightly hanging open, and confusion written on their faces. The twins looked at one another wondering if they heard their mother correctly. By the looks on their faces, the twins mentally agreed that they heard the exact same thing.

"Boys, I know this may be a big surprise but…"

"D-dad," Sora said the words foreign in his mouth. He was staring at Cloud. "You're my… dad?"

Cloud looked at the brunette twin and slowly nodded once. Sora stood up and moved toward the older man. Roxas remained planted in his chair. When he first met Cloud, Sora had never been at a lost for words. He even enjoyed chatting with him, even if the older man could have cared less about his imaginary sword fighting. Sora stared at him, straight in the eyes. Cloud nervously stared back.

The twin's eyebrow arched as he stared, as if looking for something. The golden locks looked exactly like his brother's hair. The shape of Cloud's face matched exactly to his. Yet, it was the sapphire blue eyes Sora recognized. Those blue eyes he saw every time he looked in a mirror.

Nervously, he reached out and tugged on Cloud's hair. Cloud did not move as the child touched him. Sora then touched his face, began pinching his cheeks, and pulled them apart. Cloud winced slightly and Sora laughed. Aerith let out a breath, relieved that one of her sons seemed satisfactory with the idea.

"I never had a daddy before." He said innocently.

"I never had a son before," Cloud muttered back.

Sora reached up and hugged Cloud, wrapping his little arms around his newly found father's neck. Cloud shifted his eyes to Aerith who smiled while mouthing, "Hug him." Cloud, reached around the kid, and hugged him gently. At first, the hug was awkward. Cloud was never an affectionate person. Nevertheless, when he felt Sora let out a sigh he relaxed. Sora is, after all, his son. When they pulled away, Sora gave him a big smile.

"Cloud…" he said. "Can I call you dad?"

Cloud nodded a small smile crept on up at the corners of his mouth. Sora turned and looked back at his twin.

"Roxas," he called out.

Roxas was looking down at his lap. His twin came up, took his arm, and tugged him out of his chair. Aerith stood up and knelt next to her timid son.

"Don't you want to meet your father?" she whispered.

Roxas did not say a word. However, he walked toward his dad. His feet were shuffling across the floor and he stopped inches away from the man he now had to accept to be his father. He was still staring away from Cloud, unsure.

"Hi Roxas," Cloud said softly.

"Hi," the blond twin muttered.

Cloud looked at Aerith. He had no idea how to react to Roxas. He looked toward the mother for reassurance, since she knew more about their children than he did. He returned his gaze to the boy. Roxas breathed.

"You're my dad, right?" Roxas asked.

"Yes, I am."

Then out of nowhere, Roxas's tiny fist hit Cloud on the knee. The minor attack did not even make Cloud flinch. However, the golden blond twin hit him again out of anger and frustration.

"I hate you!" Roxas cried fiercely.

The outburst caught Cloud off guard, as well as the mother and twin brother. The twin turned around to flee from the room. He scrambled out of the kitchen and into his bedroom before slamming the door behind him. Aerith gasped.

"Cloud, let me talk to him," Aerith said hurrying to her son's room.

Cloud looked down feeling horrible when he felt Sora tug on his sleeve. Sora gave him a toothy grin.

"I like you," he said and then he added, "…dad."

Cloud smiled slightly. He stood up, wanting to talk to his other son and somehow have him understand that he did care for him.

In the bedroom, Aerith was holding her son in her lap. She gently strokes his blond locks as he listens to his mother. She spoke gently to him, calming his fury.

"Roxas," she whispers gently. "I'm sorry I never told you about Cloud, your daddy. Are you mad at me too?"

Roxas shook his head. "No, but how come he never came here. Everyone laughed at Sora and me when we told people we had no daddy. Now I have a daddy. Why was he never here? Does he hate me?"

Aerith hugs him, "No, he doesn't hate you."

Roxas sobs slightly. "Then why was he never here?"

Just then, Cloud lifts his son off his mother's lap and into the strong arms of his father. Cloud, finally getting use to the idea, hugged his son to him.

"I don't hate you," Cloud firmly states. "I'm sorry I wasn't here for you. I promise I will be if you let me."

Roxas cries as he looks at his father before throwing his arms around him and hugs him. He muffles out, "Dad" as he cries out of happiness that he finally has a father of his own. Aerith smiles from the bed and Sora is at his father's side. He hugs his dad's leg and Cloud's lips curve into a bigger smile. His sons accepted him.

The night goes smoothly after everyone finishes dinner. Sora and Roxas drag their father around their room showing him things. Roxas showed him pictures he painted in art class while Sora showed him a ribbon he won in gym class for being the fastest runner. Each son was determined to show off as much as possible to his father. Cloud enjoyed watching them, seeing what he missed in the last eight years.

As he watched them, he wondered what it would have been like had he been around. He wondered what it would be like to hold a baby in his arms and watch them grow up. He could not even begin to imagine how hard it must have been for Aerith to raise twins. Cloud wanted to help her now and he was determined to do it.

"DAD!" Sora shouted. "Look at me!"

Cloud looked up to see Sora jumping off his bed. Cloud gasped and quickly reached out and caught the boy in his arms. Sora laughed as he clung to his dad like a little monkey.

"You shouldn't be jumping off the bed," Cloud said, putting him down.

"DAD!" Roxas shouted. Cloud looked back just in time to catch his other son, however the crash took the wind out of Cloud, knocking him back a bit.

Roxas and Sora began laughing hysterically when, Aerith walked into the room. In her hand was a dish towel, which she was using to wipe her hands.

"What's going on in here?" she asked.

Sora and Roxas hid behind their dad, knowing very well that they were not allowed to jump on their beds.

"The boys were just playing," Cloud said, ruffling their hair. "No harm done."

Aerith gave him a skeptical look but let topic drop. She looked at her sons.

"Boys its time to get ready for bed," Aerith said.

The boys groaned.

"But we want to play games with daddy," Sora protested tugging on his dad's hand.

"We don't want him to leave," Roxas whined.

"It's bedtime, no arguing." Aerith sternly ordered.

The twins groaned and marched off to their bedtime rituals of washing up, brushing teeth, and putting on pajamas. Cloud smiled after them, playfully rustling their hair as they left the room.

"You have them on a tight leash." Cloud commented.

"Being a single mom I cannot necessarily have them run rampant. Besides, tomorrow I have to take them with me to do errands since Tifa and Zack have the last of the wedding details to finish up."

Cloud nodded when an idea came to his mind.

"Aerith, let me watch the boys tomorrow."

Aerith's eyes widened. "Cloud, I don't think that is such a good idea."

"Why, they're good kids."

"Yes, they are good kids but they are a handful and you don't really have experience taking care of children."

Cloud shrugged, "How hard can it be? Let me spend time with my sons. I have eight years of catch up."

Just then, Roxas and Sora reentered the room dressed in pajamas and ready for bed. Cloud looked at the twins smilingly gently.

"Boys how would you like to spend the entire day with me tomorrow?" he asked.

Their faces lit up as if it were Christmas. In seconds, they were cheering as they jumped up and down excitedly. Aerith let out a sigh. She did not like the idea one bit. Sora and Roxas were kids and listened to her as if she were a drill sergeant. She was afraid the twins would walk all over their father.

"I don't think it's a good idea," Aerith attempted voiced her opinion.

The twins' faces fell to frowns. In seconds, they looked as if they were going to burst into tears.

"Come on Aerith, it will make it easier to get your errands done."

"PLEASE! PLEASE!" the twins chorused after.

Aerith's sighed again as she shook her head. She did not like this idea but maybe she would be wrong and everything would go well. When she finally did say yes, her sons bombarded her with hugs, clinging to her tightly. Behind them, Cloud smiled at her.

When the twins were finally tucked into bed, their mother kissed them goodnight. They repeatedly said good night to their dad, trying to outdo the other until their mother told them they had to sleep or they would not be able to go out with their father. With that finished, Aerith escorted Cloud to her door.

"Thank you," Cloud said, "for letting me into their lives."

"You're welcome," she replied softly.

Cloud looked at her finding it hard not to stare at her. Why did she have to look so beautiful?

"Cloud," Aerith called. "You better get going or you'll miss the bus."

Cloud broke away realizing she was right. He nodded and grabbed the door handle.

"I'll see you in the morning," he called over his shoulder.

"Good night," she whispered.

When Cloud returns to Tifa and Zack's place, the couple had just finished eating as Cloud walks through the door. The smile on Cloud's face is enough of an answer for them to realize that everything went well. They congratulated him and Cloud thanked them before telling them tomorrow's plan.

"You're going to babysit Roxas and Sora?" Zack said in the same unsure tone that Aerith used.

"They're my kids," Cloud replied sourly.

"I know that," the raven haired man stated, "it's just that… they are handful."

Tifa agreed, "Cloud those two are generally good kids but like all kids they're very mischievous. You have to keep an eye out for them at all times."

"Also, if those two get in a fight you have to be prepared to break them apart. I remember one time Sora played a prank on Roxas and it was damn near impossible to break them apart and I still don't know which one bit me."

Cloud suddenly felt nervous.

"Roxas is quiet and you have to make sure he is near you at all times." Tifa warned. "He wanders off a lot! He is quiet so you won't notice him."

Then Zack added, "Sora doesn't listen well either. If you tell him one thing I swear that kid purposely does the opposite."

Tifa interjected, "Oh and Roxas is very sensitive he cries easily but it's because Sora is talkative that it's hard for Roxas to get his say in."

"Also it's a pain in the ass to get them to eat food that isn't potato chips or chocolate. Well some of the time."

"Otherwise, they are really sweethearts," the couple said at the same time.

Cloud stared wide-eyed. A sweat drop ran down the back of Cloud's neck. He was hoping that taking care of the boys would impress Aerith and help him bond with his sons. Yet now all he could think of was what did he just get himself into?

**X, X, X,**


	8. This Lost Time

**Author Note- ** I do not own FF7 or KH

**The Promise Rings**

**Chapter 8**

**This Lost Time**

Aerith was busy preparing her boys their breakfast. They had awoken her an hour or so before she needed to be up. The twins were incredibly excited that they could not sleep any longer and wanted to leave so they could be with their father. The bounced up and down on their mother's bed until she awoke. She explained to them their father would still be sleeping.

To settle them down, she told them to wash up and gather all their things they would need for the day while she prepared them breakfast. On the menu today, Aerith decided on buttermilk pancakes, with fresh berries topped with syrup. After making a stack for each boy, she set them on the table and called them to the table. The moment she called them, the two boys made a mad dash to the table. When she came back with two glasses of milk, the boys were half way done with their pancakes.

"Boys," Aerith said, alarmed, "Slow down or you'll choke."

"We have to hurry mom!" Sora said, swallowing a big piece of pancake.

Roxas took a gulp of his milk. "We can't wait to see dad."

Aerith gave them a rigid smile. She was not entirely sure that this would be such a good idea. She would never suspect Cloud has being able to take of a child, let alone two. When would he have ever babysat a child? Yet, how could she deny her sons their father. The boys finished their meal and quickly went to wash their faces and hands of syrup.

Afterward, the twins gathered their backpacks filled with toys they could play with their father. Aerith gave them each a jacket in case the weather became cool or if by chance it would rain. She also gave them a bottle of sun block and bottles full of water to keep them from dehydrating. She also packed bandages since Sora usually ended up with a scrape or a cut usually from doing something he was not supposed to be doing in the first place.

As the family walked down the street, the boys wanted to run to Tifa's home out of sheer excitement. Aerith had to give them her "scary look" so they would not even think about running across a street without her. Yet, it was the perfect time to give them her "You better be on your best behavior" lecture.

"Now boys," she began which caused the twins to groan. They heard this lecture at least a dozen times a week and it always started the same way.

"I want you two to be on your best behavior," their mother continued. "I don't want any fighting between you two. You cannot eat junk food all day and no playing near the streets. You listen to Cloud, I mean, your father and stay close to him if you go out. Sora do not tease your brother and Roxas no hitting your brother if he teases you."

"But he calls me a tattle tale if I tell someone!" the blond twin whined.

"You are a tattle tale!" Sora said.

"BOYS!" Aerith snapped. "If you two start arguing you can march right back home, understood?"

The boys groaned, "Yes, mom"

Aerith took their hands as they crossed a street and went down a few more blocks. She also kept telling them what she expected out of them. The twins thought she was being too strict. They felt relieved when they saw Tifa's place in view. Once near the place, the trio found Tifa outside with Zack

"Aunt Tifa! Aunt Tifa!" The twins called out, gaining the girl's attention.

Tifa waved the twins as they ran up to her with their mother in tow. The raven-haired girl knelt down to the twins' level and smiled.

"Well good morning you two," she greeted them, gathering them in a hug.

"Is our daddy awake?" they said in union.

She smiled while giving them a wink, "Why don't you guys go upstairs and see."

The twins scurried into the house. Aerith smiled after them before facing her friends.

"You want to come in for some tea?" Tifa asked.

Aerith shook her head, "No, I have errands to run."

"You know Cloud was pretty excited about spending time with the twins," Zack added. "Despite the fact they can be little terrors."

Aerith sighed, "Sora and Roxas will be on their best behavior."

A look of worry crossed Aerith's face. The raven-haired girl tilted her head.

"Is something wrong?" Tifa asked.

Aerith shook her head. "Nope, just have to get going. See you guys later."

Tifa looked at Zack, not at all convinced. However, neither could inquire what their friend was worried about since she already ran off and the sound of two boys screaming their heads off alerted them that the boys were already waking up their father.

Up the stairs and inside the guest bedroom, Sora and Roxas were jumping up and down on their father's bed determined to wake him up. Cloud woke up when both sons began screaming and jumping on top of him.

"Hey, hey!" Cloud called.

"Wake up!" the twins chorused.

"I am awake!" Cloud sat up.

He grabbed each son with one of his arms, pulling them into a tight hug. The boys laughed and wriggled out of their father grasp. Cloud gave them a small smile. Tossing the blanket on top of him aside, the father flung his legs over the side of the bed, and stood up. He turned to his sons, both on their knees on the bed.

"So what should we do today?" he asked.

Suddenly the two boys began to spurt out ideas, ideas such as, movies, park, Chocobo riding, amongst other things. Cloud held up his hands in attempt to quiet the two children down.

"Settle down," Cloud gently coaxed. "Let me get dressed and I'll meet you downstairs."

The boys jumped of the bed, each landing with a loud thud. Cloud needed to talk to Zack about locations seeing that this was his first time in Midgar. Last thing he needed was to get lost and have a miserable time with his sons on their first outing.

Cloud changed out of his sleeping attire and into a sleeveless navy turtleneck and black jeans. After pulling on his socks and boots, he washed his face, brushed his teeth and did his hair quickly. Afterwards he grabbed his cell phone and wallet from the dresser and tucked them in his pocket before heading down the steps. When he reached the bottom, his sons nearly knocked him over.

"Come on dad!" Sora said, tugging his hand.

Roxas was pushing him from behind, his hands firmly against his legs. Zack watched in amusement while Tifa was putting on an apron.

"Boys, don't you think you should let your father eat breakfast first?" Tifa asked.

The boys frowned. Cloud simply ruffled their hairs. "It's fine; I'll grab something on the way. By the way do you have a map of the city?"

"A map?" Zack asked. "Oh yeah, I do."

The raven-haired man left the room but quickly returned with the map in hand. He handed it Cloud. The moment he got it the twins again began to urge him to leave.

"Thanks," Cloud said as he was being pulled and pushed out the door.

Zack crossed his arms and shook his head once the trio left. He glanced over at Tifa who was smirking.

"I wish Cloud luck," Zack said.

Tifa nodded from behind the counter, "He is going to need it."

Once outside, Cloud tried to get his sons opinion on what they would do for their outing. The only problem was the twins refused to stand still and listen. Both were hyperactive and simply excited about being with their father to even notice. Cloud could not be mad or even annoyed. They were kids after all. Nevertheless, he did have to gain their attention somehow.

Grabbing both sons gently by the shoulders, the father squatted down to their height. He smiled at them. The twins smiled back, large toothy grins.

"So what should we do?" Cloud asked.

"Park!" Sora shouted. "I want to go to the park!"

"Alright, that park it is," Cloud concurred.

Roxas frowned, "Why does Sora get to pick what we do?

Sora pushed his brother, "Because I'm older!"

"By three minutes!" Roxas retorted, pushing his twin.

"Hey!" Cloud hastily shouted, not wanting a fight to occur. "Listen how about this. We go to the park and then you can choose the next activity for us to do, alright Roxas?"

The golden-haired twin beamed. Cloud let out a small sigh of relief and with his sons, went to Midgar Park. Midgar Park was not a park that Cloud was use to. It had no trees, no grass, or a single plant of any kind. The ground was either concrete or dirt. Neither Sora nor Roxas seemed to mind, probably because they were used to the idea. Cloud on the other hand missed the beautiful scenery his hometown offered him. Why did his best friend and Aerith decide to move here was beyond him. Then again, he knew why Zack was here. It was because Tifa was here. Why Aerith was here was another question he hoped to answer.

Sora, Roxas, and their father played the usual kid games such as tag, ball, racing, and such. Tag seemed to be the boys' favorites since they believed they were faster then their father. In truth, Cloud pretended to be too slow. Of course, he would sometimes tag one of his sons, who would instantly try to tag him back. Cloud made sure to give them a little chase before slowing down and letting them tag him.

About an hour into their game, Sora plopped down on the concrete breathing hard. Cloud had to stop chasing in his second son and ran to him.

"Sora, are you okay?" Cloud asked.

Sora nodded, his face red and sweaty. "I'm so thirsty dad."

"Okay you sit here and I'll go get you a drink," Cloud said.

"Oh, lemonade please!"

Cloud nodded. He scanned the area, spotting a vendor only a couple of feet away. With their dad gone, Roxas looked at his brother questionably.

"Why didn't you just get the water mom gave us?" Roxas asked.

Sora grinned big before stating clearly, "I wanted lemonade."

Moments later Cloud returned with a cup of lemonade. Sora gulped down the lemonade. Roxas frowned and tugged on his father's shirt. Cloud looked down at him.

"I'm thirsty too!"

Cloud was about to ask Sora to share his lemonade when the brunette twin gulped down the rest of the drink. Cloud sighed, excusing himself to get Roxas some lemonade too.

"Let's play tag!" Sora said, as his father was rushing to the lemonade vendor.

"But I'm thirsty," his brother whined, "I want my drink."

Sora ignored him and smacked him, purposely, as hard as he could on the shoulder. Roxas let out a cry.

"Tag you're it!" Sora shouted, bolting from his spot.

Sora laughed as he ran, knowing it would irritate his brother. Roxas, taking his brother's bait, chased after his sibling. The golden-haired twin was a fast runner, faster than his brother gave him credit. When Roxas did catch up to his brother, he tackled him to the ground.

When Cloud turned around after paying the vendor, he saw his twin sons wrestling in the ground. Roxas was on top, shoving his brother's face in the dirt. Cloud bolted toward them and ripped them apart, holding them by their shirt collars.

"Why are you two fighting?" Cloud exasperated, "we should be having fun!"

"We were just playing," Sora lied, wiping dirt off his face.

"Mom let's us play like this all the time," Roxas fabricated.

Cloud put them back on the ground. He did not question his sons, believing they were honest to him. After handing Roxas his drink, Cloud decided it would be time to do something else. He did not want another fight to end up happening. Last thing he needed was an accident to happen. Since Sora had picked the park, Roxas decided to go the movies. It had been an incredibly long time since he had seen a film, especially since their mother was busy and it be rude to ask Zack and Tifa to take them.

"So where is the movie theater?" asked Cloud.

He looked at his sons; both shrugged their shoulders while shaking their heads. Cloud sighed. He returned to the juice vendor with his map who, luckily, was able to point Cloud in the right direction. The only problem was, it would be quite a walk to the theater. Sure enough, not even half way through the walk he found his sons sluggishly walking.

"Daddy, we're tired," Roxas sighed heavily.

"Can't we take the bus?"

Cloud shook his head, "I don't know the bus schedule. How about you two ride on my back?"

The boys were too eager to jump on. They climbed onto either side of their father, sitting on one of his shoulders. The two tugged on their father's spiky locks, causing him to cringe when they pulled too hard. He pressed on, not wanting to upset them as he walked all the way to the theater.

When they got there, Cloud let them down. The boys instantly ran to the posters to find a movie they wanted to see. Cloud groaned, rubbing his now sore shoulders. He did not think carrying two kids would be so taxing. It made him wonder how Aerith was able to carry them through her pregnancy and afterward.

"DADDY!" Roxas screamed, gaining Cloud's attention.

Cloud's head snapped up in alarm, thinking his son was hurt. However, Roxas was happily jumping up and down while pointing to a poster.

"I want to see this one!" he exclaimed.

"ME TOO! ME TOO!" begged Sora.

Cloud looked at the poster, which had a scary monster of a person of person on it holding a machete. Cloud swallowed hard as he looked down to see the rating to be "Restricted."

"You two are too young to see this movie." He tried to explain.

The twins' faces fell.

"But mommy let's us see movies like this." Roxas cried.

Sora began to whine, dropping to the ground. Cloud gasped as Roxas began to burst out crying as well. Amidst their screams, Cloud felt the eyes of people passing by. Not wanting this to continue, the father quickly gave in to his sons. Once the twins found out they could see their movie, the rushed inside. After buying the tickets, and receiving a questionable look from the box office host, Cloud ushered his kids into the lobby.

"Oh daddy!" Sora said. "Can we have popcorn?"

"And soda?" Roxas added.

"Oh, and candy!" Sora continued.

Roxas nodded, "I want candy too."

"Sure," Cloud agreed. He went up to the counter and began ordering. "One large popcorn…"

"WITH BUTTER!" Sora shouted.

"I don't like butter…" Roxas whispered.

"Err… make that two small popcorns one with butter and one without and one medium with butter. Three sodas…"

"I want orange soda," Roxas announced to the cashier.

"I want cherry." Sora said raising his hand. "And I want chocolate chip cookie dough candy!"

"I want peanut butter candy!"

"Daddy can I have nachos too?"

"Can I have a pretzel?"

After nearly ten minutes and holding up a line of people, Cloud finally got everything his sons wanted, which came to a thirty-dollar fee of food. He then ushered his son, with his arms full of food, into the movie theater. Cloud sat in-between his sons, as the munched on popcorn, nachos, and an assortment of other foods. He himself tried his best to enjoy his popcorn and drink as the movie began.

The start of the movie began with a ominous thunderstorm, which was a prelude to the events to come. Five minutes later, Roxas and Sora were screaming in terror, which forced Cloud to take them out of the theater after the movie villain stabbed an actor in the jugular. It took him a good half hour and the promise of ice cream to calm down his children.

At the ice cream parlor, Cloud sat with a cup of coffee while his two sons each ate large ice cream sundaes. They refused to share a sundae and Cloud was not in the mood for anything sweet. The twins sat across from him as they ate chocolate covering the sides of their mouths.

"Is it good?" their father asked, indicating the ice cream.

"Delicious," Sora said smacking his lips.

"Yummy," Roxas agreed.

Cloud sipped his coffee quietly. Sora looked up at him questionably.

"Yes?" Cloud asked.

"Can I have some?" Sora asked.

Cloud shook his head. "It is coffee. You won't like it."

"Mom always says that," he grumbled.

Cloud sighed and pushed his cup to his son. Sora's eyes lit up as he eagerly took the warm cup in his hands. The brunette son took a big gulp of the drink. His brother watched curiously. A second later Sora began coughing. Cloud chuckled as Sora began shoveling ice cream in his mouth to get the bitter taste of coffee out of his mouth.

"I told you," Cloud said, taking his cup back. "So where do you two want to go next?

The boys shrugged.

"You pick a place daddy," Roxas suggested.

"Yeah, you picky daddy!"

After the ice cream and coffee, Cloud had found a rather quiet activity for him and the boys. It involved riding chocobos. Earlier in the day the two boys had suggested the idea. The boys seemed rather excited about the prospect of riding the giant birds until they found out that the birds were tied together and simply went around in a circle. Cloud could tell his sons did not like the ride. He frowned. After going around in circles for about ten times the boys were let off the birds and rejoined their father.

Cloud handed them each a small plush chocobo bird that the twins, upon entering, begged their father to get them. Cloud cursed mentally for whoever put the plush toys for kids to see. Midgar was costing him an arm and a leg.

"This was boring," Sora complained as they walked by a fenced area.

Inside the fenced area, several older children were riding chocobos without constraints. The riders were all dressed in professional riding type gear and did jumping tricks on their birds.

"How come we can't do that?" Roxas asked. "I want to ride a chocobo and jump over fences!"

"You're too little to do that and it costs a lot of money." Cloud reasoned.

Roxas crossed his arms and let out a huff. Cloud came down to his level and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Listen," Cloud said, "when you're older I'll take you back where I use to live as a kid and we can ride chocobos together, alright?"

Roxas's eyes lit up and he nodded furiously. Cloud then ushered his son but not before calling for Sora to follow. Sora was throwing his plush chocobo up in the air and catching it. Sora began to follow, continuing his throwing and catching game when he threw his bird high into the air. He held out his hands to catch it but instead of it landing his arms, a large chocobo stretched its neck out and grabbed hold of the toy in its beak.

"HEY!" Sora cried.

The bird made a "wark" sound and trotted away.

"Dad," Sora called out but noticed his father was talking to his brother.

Without thinking of the consequences, the brunette twin slipped between the gaps between the fence and into the pen with several chocobos. Moments later, Cloud looked back to see how far Sora was behind him when he saw his son was not. Fear washed over him as his head snapped in ever direction.

Cloud felt his blood run cold when he did spot his son. The chocobo that had snatched his plush bird had dropped it at its feet while it pecked at his food. Cloud rushed up to the fence with Roxas next to him.

"Sora, get out of there!" Cloud ordered.

Sora ignored him, reached over, and grabbed the wing of his chocobo plush doll. The Chocobo who snatched the doll made a fierce noise before turning on the boy. Sora looked up, his eyes widened as the bird flapped its wings while hissing. Cloud's face paled. Without thinking, the father jumped over the fence and rushed across the pen to his son. The wild bird bend its long head to peck at the boy when Cloud pulled him out of the way.

With Sora safe in his arms he rushed to the fence with the bird at his heels. The bird pecked at the father's back, causing Cloud to cringe in pain but also keep his son safe.

"Leave my dad alone!" Sora shouted, before slamming his plush bird on the chocobo's beak.

The act angered the already mad chocobo even more. Once Cloud reached the fence, after being pecked about a hundred more times, he vaulted over the fence with one hand and rolled across the ground. Cloud looked back at the bird that began to pitch a fit. Sora looked at his dad and beamed.

"YOU SAVED ME!" Sora said hugging his father.

Roxas added, "You were so cool, dad!"

Cloud grasped his son by the shoulders, "Sora, don't you ever do that again! Don't you understand how dangerous that is?"

"But he took my chocobo," Sora frowned.

"It's a toy!" Cloud gasped.

"But you gave it to me," Sora replied. "It's the first gift you ever gave me."

Cloud wanted to be angry. He wanted to tell Sora that the toy did not matter. Yet, seeing how his son was clutching the toy tightly and seeing the precious look in their eyes, he could not. Cloud sighed and hugged both his sons to him.

"I'd have gotten you a new one," he whispered. "You two are more important than any toy."

After their heartfelt moment, the owner who happened to see the incident kicked Cloud and his sons out of the chocobo farm. Deciding it was getting late; Cloud took his sons back to Tifa and Zack's place. When they arrived, Zack and Tifa could see how tired and beat up the father looked. Tifa decided to distract the boys with dinner while Zack helped his friend inside. He helped Cloud to his room and sat him on the bed.

"I take it you had a rough day?" Zack asked.

Cloud simply let out a groan.

"I warned you they would be a handful." Zack reminded. "Anyways, what the heck happened to you and how did you get all those holes in your shirt?"

Cloud groaned again, "Long story."

Zack smirked. "So I take it you won't be having an outing with the twins anytime soon. Feel like running for the hills yet?"

The golden haired man looked up at his friend.

"It's strange," Cloud said. "I haven't been around them for nearly their entire lives. I would think that it would be impossible for us to bond… but I just don't see myself not being apart of Sora and Roxas's lives. I… love them."

Zack smiled as he headed for the door. "They are your sons, Cloud. Sure, you haven't been able to be around them but they are yours. I'm hundred percent they wouldn't want you to leave either."

Zack turned to close the door behind him but before he did, "I'll get Tifa to bring your dinner up later."

With that, the raven-haired man left, closing the door as he did. Cloud flopped back on his bed, wanting to get some sleep. However, the sound of his children's' voices awoken him. He got up and moved toward the window.

"Mom!" the both cried out as Cloud watched. The two sons ran toward their mother as she opened her arms to gather them both in a hug. The two returned the hug. He saw Aerith's mouth move and although Cloud could not hear, he was sure that she was asking how the day went.

The boys began to talk rapidly to her as Aerith stood up. Although she was listening to her children, her eyes lifted up to the window, catching Cloud's eyes. Cloud stiffened, finding a lump in the back of his throat. The two stared at one another. The spiky-blonde felt his heart slamming against him. Seeing her so close and yet so far reminded him of the day he left her.

_The train station was busy, with crowds of people waiting for the arrival or the departure of one of the trains. Cloud had minutes ago said goodbye to his mother as he got on the train that would take him to the city where he would begin his training for a member of SOLDIER. He sat back in his seat as he stared out the window at the people. He looked down for a moment at the plastic ring on his finger. He kept telling himself he should remove it out of fear of being mocked but he kept thinking about Aerith and how mad she would be if he did take it off._

"_CLOUD!"_

_Cloud looked up and out the train window. His eyes widened as he saw Aerith pushing herself through crowd. Cloud got up and stuck his head out the window as his girlfriend. He could not believe she was here and yet he could._

"_What are you doing here?" he asked._

"_Cloud," Aerith cried. "I don't want you to go."_

_Cloud looked away. It hurt too much. His hand tightened into fists. How could he explain to Aerith that this was not just hard on her but him as well? She did not want him to go but he did not want to be apart from her either and after that night in the park with her, he wanted to be with her more than ever._

"_Aerith," Cloud said. "I'll come back for you, I promise. Please wait for me."_

_Aerith felt tears pouring down her cheeks again for the millionth time._

"_Cloud, I'll wait for you forever."_

_Cloud leaned out the window his hand caressing her face. Then as if life purposely wanted to tease them, the train began to move as the conductor sounded the whistle. The train began taking Cloud away, Aerith stayed rooted at her spot as she watched Cloud disappear slowly in the distance. _

Aerith turned away from Cloud as she took the hands of her children. The day at the train station echoed in her mind, because long after Cloud was gone, Aerith remained. She had hoped that one of the trains that would come and drop off its passengers would carry Cloud back to her. When the last train came and went, did Aerith realize that Cloud was not coming back.

For Aerith, he never did and hurt deep within her down to the core.

For Cloud, he wanted nothing more than to return to her side because he loves her.

**X, X, X,**

Author Note- Excuse the lateness of the chapter and all the errors. Life is just very busy for me. Thanks for all the reviews and feedback. You all are wonderful!


	9. This Heart of Mine

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Final Fantasy VII or Kingdom Hearts

**The Promise Rings**

**Chapter 9**

**This Heart of Mine**

Aerith tucked her sons into their beds, both boys clutching their plush toys their father had given them. As Aerith leaned over Sora's bed, tucking him in, he made his little bird, which he dubbed Boko, snatched one of the brown curls cradling her face.

"Om nom nom," Sora made Boko say.

"Sora let go of my hair," Aerith asked sweetly.

"Boko hungry mom," Sora explained. "Maybe if you give him a cookie he'll stop eating your hair."

Aerith arched an eyebrow. "Or how about Boko goes to sleep because he already had enough sweets and junk food today."

Sora groaned and let go of his mother's hair. Aerith kissed his forehead. Sora in return kissed his mommy's cheek. Aerith then turned to her second son. She covered him up and leaned over to kiss him as well. Roxas returned the kiss.

"Now you two get to sleep, I don't want to hear any talking." Aerith said in a mock stern voice.

She knew her sons would stay up and talk until they grew tired. They were kids after all and it was not as if they were up all night. She began to reach from the light switch when Roxas sat straight up.

"Mommy!" he called, getting her attention.

"Yes?" she replied.

"Is Daddy going to live with us now?"

The mother stiffened. She never expected her son to ask such a question and yet she should have. She breathed.

"No, sweetie, Daddy isn't going to live with us."

"But why?" he asked.

Sora piped up, "Yeah, why?"

The brunette turned away and gave them the most pathetic answer she ever gave her sons, "because, now go to sleep."

Aerith closed the bedroom door behind her after turning the lights off. She hugged herself, feeling disturbed by her sons' innocence questions. Could she even explain her complicated feelings to them? The boys were young and simple. They didn't understand how much pain she went through and the promise she made to herself, the night they were born.

_Aerith sobbed as a wave of pain hit her. No one was around the only phone was in the kitchen of her tiny apartment. She wanted to get up but the pain was immense. The babies, her twins, were coming and she could not do anything about it. She needed to get to the hospital but there was no one to drive her, no one here to even help her. Her parents had refused to move to Midgar and instead opted to move to another city. Aerith never said anything to anyone but assumed her parents left their old home out of embarrassment that their daughter could be so careless. _

_Another shocking wave of pain hit her, erupting from her midsection and spreading throughout her. She let out a cry, praying for babies to give her more time. They were coming two weeks earlier than she anticipated. She felt so unprepared and yet foolish for being unprepared. When the pain subsided, the young girl lifted herself from her bed, sweating and breathing heavily. She held onto walls or old furniture for support. She needed to reach the phone before another wave hit her._

_It was then she realized, just how alone she was. No one was here for her. No family members, none of her old friends, and certainly not the father of her children. _

_Stumbling into the kitchen, she knocked the phone off the hook and it landed with a loud clank on the floor. Aerith slid down carefully, sitting on the floor as she punched in the numbers for emergency assistance. When the operator's voice sounded, Aerith was hit with another painful wave. She cried out for help, sobbing hysterically to the person on the other line. The person, a woman, tried her best to assure Aerith that help was on the way. _

_She did not know how long it took until an ambulance arrived or how long it took until she got to the hospital. She did not even know how long it took until her babies were delivered. After both her newborn babies were out of the womb, they were taken away to make sure all vital signs were normal and to be cleaned. _

_Not too long after, the doctor, followed by a nurse carried the twins to Aerith. Aerith took both baby boys in her arms. They were sleeping peacefully but she could see the soft baby hair on each of their heads. One was brunette and the other was blonde. The doctor and nurse left the mother with her two sons alone. As Aerith lay in her bed with her babies in each arm, she began thinking of names for them. One of the babies made a cooing noise before opening his bright blue eyes. His eyes were just like his. Aerith smiled and kissed him on the head._

"_Why hello," she whispered gently. The baby cooed again._

"_You're so beautiful and your eyes remind me of how beautiful the blue sky is," she explained. "I'm going to call you... Sora."_

_The baby smiled, causing Aerith to smile. She assumed that he liked the name. Then she looked at her second son. He had awakened as well. His eyes were just the same as his brother's eyes. His curious little eyes were searching the entire room before finding his mother's loving gaze. He, of course, needed a name too. She thought long and hard before she thought of a name that seemed to suit him._

"_Your name is Roxas," she whispered._

_Roxas's little hand reached up toward his mother. Aerith brought her lips to his tiny fist and kissed it. Roxas touched her before cooing and happily laughing._

_Aerith held her boys closely to her, sending her warmth to them and receiving their love back. Already the three were bonding, and it made her lonely heart fill up._

"_I'm not alone anymore. I have you two now. I promise to never leave you two, okay? I won't abandon you like everyone else has abandoned me. I'm no longer going to live in my past. You two are my future now."_

_Aerith smiled and kissed each boy on the forehead, sealing her promise._

"_You two are my family now."_

_When the babies were put in their cribs next to her bed after being fed, Aerith stared at her hand, noting the promise ring on her finger. She looked at both babies before looking back at the ring. With a heavy heart, she grasped the ring on her left hand and pulled it off. She could no long be tied down with a promise, a promise that did not seem to matter anymore._

Inside her own room, she sat at her small vanity and undid her braid. She brushed her long brown locks as she stared at her reflection. It felt odd to her. She was still so young and yet she felt so old after having her children. Then again, once they were born Aerith had much more responsibilities. She did it all alone. No one helped her, well except Tifa when the twins were older but before then, it was all her. How could she expect Cloud to even manage the kids for more than a couple of hours? She could easily see by the worn look on his face that he was in no shape or form to handle two twin boys.

How could Cloud even be reliable? He was here now and he only had a sample about what parent life is like. Yet, he never changed the boys' diapers, watched over them when they were sick, cleaned them, spent long hours helping them with homework, and much more. All he did was spend a day with them. Aerith sighed shaking her head. If he could not keep a promise from before then what made her think he could now?

Aerith set her brush down and opened her jewelry box. She browsed the pieces until she found one in particular. She stared at it for a long time before shaking her head.

He couldn't.

Aerith closed her jewelry box and headed for her bed.

X, X, X,

Cloud stared out the window; the dark sky was shrouded in overcast, making the area outside pitch black. He was not use to this type of place, even when he was in the military with Zack the two were stationed in areas where at night you could see the stars in the sky.

Cloud sighed heavily; he could still hear Zack and Tifa chatting down in the bar as they cleaned up from the night's events. He wondered just how those two could stay up so late and still get up so early in the morning. Yet, he remembered doing just that in the military. Standing for hours making sure never to leave his post, although Zack made patrol and guard duty tolerable. However, on those particular evenings when Zack would not be his partner and he got one of those "stick-in-the-mud" recruits, he would often think about Aerith. He wondered when he looked up at the stars in the sky if she too was looking up at them and thinking of him as well.

It was almost a divine joke how he has been reunited with his former girlfriend. It was still hard to believe Sora and Roxas were his children. It was hard to believe of all places, she was in a place that seemed less suited for her personality. He was even more shocked that she could easily discard him after everything they had been through, after what they shared.

_Cloud draped his long jacket over Aerith, before settling her in his lap. Aerith snuggled against his warm slick body. His normal spiky hair that seemed to defy gravity drooped from the sweat he garnered after his and his girlfriend's "vigorous activity." His hand slipped into her undone hair, his fingers running through the silky mass before resting on the back of her head. He placed sweet kisses on her forehead, hoping to soothe her._

"_I love you," she whispers._

"_I love you too," he replies back._

_Aerith's eyes open, half lidded. She slips her arms around Cloud's neck. Yet, she trembles._

"_What's wrong?" he asks._

"_Don't leave me alone tonight." She cries. "I don't want to be alone. I feel like if you leave me you'll never come back."_

"_I said I would come back for you." He tries his best to reassure her._

"_I'm worried you might get hurt or you might not come back. I want you to stay and be with me. I'm really afraid for you Cloud. I feel like I could lose you."_

_The two do not talk at all but continue holding one another. At some point the two drift off into slumber. Cloud is the one who awakens his girlfriend in his arms. He refuses to wake her from her peaceful dream and opts to carry her home. He does with ease, picking her up and walking out of the now deserted park to Aerith's home. As he walks down the sidewalks alone with his girl in his arms, Cloud ponders many things._

_How long until they are reunited? Will she be overjoyed to see him? Will she even want to be with him still? More questions moved through his head and jumbled around. He did not worry about them anymore. He made a promise to her after all. _

_Once he arrived at her home, he quietly opened the back door to the house. It was not a bad neighborhood nor was there any need to worry about crime in this small town. Everyone knew everyone and everyone was good to everyone else. Cloud moved through the house like a cat, being quiet and not awakening Aerith's parents who would scold him for keeping Aerith out late. Not to mention if the saw how much in disarray he looked, would definitely opt suspicion that he did not want to arouse. He lay Aerith down in her bed and covered her with her blanket. _

_He brushed her hair aside to view her beautiful face before kissing her on the forehead. The girl made a noise, a pleasant one, before turning over onto her side. Cloud smiled. _

"_I promise you, I'll come back and we can get married and have a family together."_

Yet, he was too late. Aerith had started a family without him. A family he should be part of. Sora and Roxas adored him. However, the years were not kind to Aerith and Cloud could see it whether or not she would admit it. He remembered their younger days and the sparkle in Aerith's eyes that now seemed to have disappeared. Physically, Aerith looked the same albeit older. Mentally, she was no longer a child but a woman who had taken on hardships that no one should have to go through alone. If he had been there, she would not have.

Cloud curses silently to himself.

Those emerald eyes used to shine with such brilliance now seemed jaded. However, he did catch glimpses of the same Aerith he once knew. The only time he saw it was whenever she looked at their children, her eyes shined so beautifully. He only hoped that one day they would shine just as brilliantly for him as they once did.

"Aerith," he whispered to himself. "Please let me be with you."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Cloud looked toward the door and saw Zack standing in the doorway.

"Why are you up so late?" Zack asked.

Cloud replied, "Thinking."

"Coming from you, I'm not surprised." Zack smirked. "What's on your mind?"

"A lot."

"Must you always give one word answers? Why can't you just say what's wrong or do I have to put you in a headlock like I did back in SOLDIER?"

Cloud grimaced. "First, "a lot" is two words and second, if you try I'll break your arm."

"Someone is grumpy."

"It's Aerith."

Zack did not seem at all phased, "Figures."

Cloud gave Zack a small glare which his friend ignored.

"She doesn't want to be with me. I don't understand why she won't give me a chance. It's not as if I left her on purpose. She knew my mother could not afford to take care of the two of us and it's not as if I purposely impregnated her and left her to take care of our children. Had I known I would have dropped out and came back to her. I'm not some cold hearted bastard, am I Zack?"

Zack sighed, "Listen, I'm not saying you are but whatever happened between those years has made Aerith who she was. Honestly, and I'm not saying this to be a downer, she never mentioned you not once. Granted, I never asked her about whom the twins' dad was but it never phased her. She was and still is this strong independent woman Cloud who built a life for herself and you being her is throwing that all off."

"I'm not trying to destroy her life. I want to be apart of it. I want to be a part of her life just as much as I want to be a part of Sora's and Roxas's life as well. Zack I still love her. I never stopped."

Zack did not even seemed surprised by this either. "Then maybe you should tell her that?"

"I did and she outright refused me."

Zack sighed, "Then talk to Aerith about it. She's not unreasonable. Communication is key in relationships… unless it comes to me and Tifa then it's if I don't listen I get to meet her fists."

Zack covered his mouth quickly. "Uh, pretend I never said that ha, ha!"

X, X, X,

Aerith sighed as she watched Tifa slide into her wedding dress for the final fitting. She looked gorgeous, of course, and the dress fit her like a glove. Zack would positively drool at the sight of her walking down the aisle. Aerith envied her friend. She remembered the days she dreamed of a white wedding with all the trimmings. She would be in an elegant ball gown, with white roses as her bouquet, and a veil that had intricate details all along it. All her friends would be there as she walked down the aisle to her groom...

What groom? There would be no groom. Aerith had not dated someone since she got pregnant. Her main focus for the past years has been solely her children. They were everything to her now and the most important thing to her. What else mattered?

Speaking of which, the two boys were busy playing on the floor with their toys that Cloud had given to them. Sora was making Boko attack Roxas's own chocobo who was called Fenrir now. Aerith smiled at their cute little game. She then looked up; noticing Tifa was fully fitted into her white dress.

Tifa spun around so her friend could view every angle of her. Aerith smiled.

"You look amazing, as always," the brunette complimented. "The dress is a perfect fit."

"Wow Tifa!" Sora exclaimed. "You're very pretty!"

Tifa gushed. Sora's innocence was so adorable.

"You know Auntie Tifa, Roxas said if Zack won't marry you he'll marry you!"

Roxas's face turned bright red before shaking his head vigorously. "I didn't say that! I said you looked really really pretty!"

Tifa grinned as a small blush crept on her face. She could not wait for her wedding day. It would be amazing. The boys were squabbling until Aerith separated them.

"So, how does your dress fit?" Tifa asked Aerith.

"Fine," Aerith said.

She did not want Tifa to make any more altercations to the dress. It was already too short and tight as Tifa would say, "In all the right places" but to Aerith it made her look like she was a teenager again. Well, before she became pregnant. Before she became a mother she was a bit more daring in her clothing choices but when she became a mother she grew up and chose more modest clothing.

"Aren't you going to let me see you in it?" Tifa questioned disappointment in her voice.

"Tifa, I have to get back to work. I still have to finish all the flower arrangements for your wedding, remember?"

Tifa scoffed, "I'm sure they'll be gorgeous."

Of course they would be. Aerith was a perfectionist when it came to her flowers. Regardless, Aerith and Tifa bid each other farewell. Tifa took the twins with her, so Aerith would be able to finish her work without having to worry about the twins getting into something they were not supposed to.

Aerith arrived at her shop and fished her keys out to unlock the front door. Once inside, she threw off her red jacket, which landed on her chair behind her front desk, and headed into the back to check on the flowers. After examining the needs of all the flowers, she began to pick out the centerpiece vases, ribbons, and such for Tifa's wedding. Before she could even start, the door to the shop opened and closed.

Aerith walked out front and to her surprise found Cloud. Cloud glanced at her before averting his eyes to the ground. She knew he was nervous. It was how Cloud acted.

"Did you need something?" she asked.

Cloud shifted, "We… I need to talk to you."

Aerith moved behind the desk and sat down in the chair. "What about?"

Cloud's eyes remained on the floor.

"You, me, I mean I want to talk about us."

Aerith arched an eyebrow. "What about us? There is no "us", Cloud."

Cloud looked up at her. His blue eyes looked as if they were in so much pain. It reminded her of Sora and Roxas when they were sad. She cursed mentally at those beautiful eyes. It tugged at her heartstrings.

"Why, why can't there be an us?"

"I already told you," Aerith said, annoyed. "I have my own life and it doesn't involved you!"

"Why," Cloud snapped. "You tell me I can be with Sora and Roxas but you never give me a reason why I can't be with you also."

Aerith sighed, frustration rising. "Roxas and Sora have the right to know who you are and can choose to accept you into their lives but that doesn't mean I have to let you back into mine. If you haven't noticed Cloud that I have done perfectly fine since you left me. I don't need you or your help."

Cloud stared. "Why?"

"Why are you keep asking me why? I told you the reason!"

"No, you tell me excuses. Tell me the real reason that you can so easily dismiss me from your life!"

Aerith grabbed her coat and keys. She would be too frustrated to work and last thing she wanted was a customer to walk in and see her arguing with someone. She rounded the counter and headed for the door.

"What answer are you looking for Cloud? What did you expect after so many years that I would just run into your waiting arms?"

Cloud was not sure if he expected her to just fling herself onto him but he did expect at least honesty to the girl he loved.

"No," he continued. "But I at least expect an honest answer out of you!"

Aerith pushed open the door to her shop, locking it behind her. Cloud followed.

"I gave you an honest answer." Aerith was beyond irritated.

"What have I done to you that have made you hate me so much? Answer me that!" Cloud's voice rose from its normal calmness

Aerith ignored him, her hands clenching.

"Answer me!"

She rounded on him and yelled at him, "You never came back!"

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Cloud looked stunned. Aerith glared at him through the tears glazing over her eyes.

"I waited for you," she sobbed. "I waited by the phone for you, I wrote you so many letters, I waited for you to come back and you never did. You never contacted me. I told you in those letters I was pregnant and I needed your help. I told you I moved to Midgar because my parents were so angry at me; they left me to fend for myself! I hoped and prayed that you would come find me but you never did. I grew out of that fantasy when I realized in the real world there is no knight in shining armor who would rescue me. I grew up Cloud and I did it without you! I don't need you!"

Cloud looked confused, "Letters? I never got a single letter from you! You never contacted me!"

Aerith glared. "Don't you dare accuse me of lying! I sent almost a hundred letters to you and not once did you even reply. I don't need to feel that emptiness again."

"But I'm here now and I want to make amends!" he said honestly.

Aerith turned away from him. Cloud reached out to touch her but Aerith pushed his hand away.

"I don't need broken promises Cloud Strife." She said sternly. "Just leave me alone."

With that Aerith ran off. She did not want to cry in front of him. Cloud watched her go, his chest tightening in pain. He took off in the other direction, back to Tifa's bar and home. He could not be here any longer. He could no longer stay here and look at Aerith and pretend he was all right with not being with her.

Once back in his room, he packed again, throwing everything in his suitcase as fast as he could. He needed to get away from this place and find somewhere to go where he no longer thought about his ex-girlfriend. As soon as he finished packing he grabbed his suitcase and headed out the door. Down the steps, he neared the front door when he heard the back door open.

"Hey Cloud," Zack's overly cheery voice called. "Where are you going?"

"I'm leaving!" Cloud stated with no room for debate.

Zack looked appalled. "But, but the wedding. You're my best man."

"I guess I'm the wrong person for the job." Cloud snapped.

"Wait, did you get in another argument with Aerith?" Zack guessed.

"What was your first clue?" Cloud asked dryly.

"What happened this time?"

Cloud opened the front door. Zack lunged at him, grabbing his suitcase in an attempt to keep him from leaving.

"Talk to me Cloud!"

"Aerith refuses to be with me. She thinks I left her on purpose. You think I would have left her had I known this would have happened to her. She doesn't care about me anymore so why should I?"

"What about the twin?" Zack exasperated. "You are their father."

"Well, I guess Aerith was right. Apparently I can't keep promises!"

The coldness in Cloud's voice startled Zack. Cloud dropped his suitcase and ripped off the glove off his left hand. Zack looked at his friend's hand and saw an old plastic ring in the shape of a wolf on his ring finger.

"Isn't that the…"

"The promise ring I kept covered up during SOLDIER because everyone kept picking on me? Yeah, I never took it off even after all these damn years!"

Cloud was now attempting to take the ring off. He remembered how hard it was to get on to begin with and was now struggling to get it off.

"Why are still wearing that thing for anyway?"

"Because!" Cloud huffed. "This was the ring Aerith gave me when we made a promise before I left for SOLDIER. She promised…ugh" Cloud felt like he was about to rip his finger off, "ugh, to wait for me."

Finally, the ring became loose. Cloud then flung the ring across the room. It landed with a loud clank as is it skidded across the floor before hitting a wall.

"Broken promises…" Cloud snapped. "She accuses me of breaking my promise and yet I'm the one who is here and trying. She's full of it! She claimed to write me letters and I never received one! She tries so hard to make herself so innocent and the victim. That is a load of…"

"Cloud, wait calm down." Zack begged. "This is all a misunderstanding!"

"Shut up!" Cloud snapped again. "I'm tired of this. I'm done. I'm going back home. I'm catching the next train back."

Cloud grabbed his suit case and walked out of the place.

"Cloud!" Zack yelled after him. "CLOUD COME BACK!"

"Zack?"

Zack turned around to see Tifa. Sora and Roxas were next to her.

"What's with all the shouting?"

"Why is daddy leaving?" Sora asked innocently.

Zack looked at Tifa, the expression on his face made Tifa fear the worst.

"They got into a fight," Zack deliberately avoided using Aerith's name. Tifa understood.

"Where is he going?"

"He's leaving!" Zack quickly explained to Tifa what had occurred. Sora and Roxas began playing a game, becoming bored of the grown up talk.

"You have to stop him!" Tifa said.

"He won't listen to me! He is so angry and hurt. He won't listen to reason."

"Then explain it to Aerith. We can't let them end things like this."

Zack looked down. "How can I even get Aerith to listen to me? She made it clear to Cloud she didn't want anything to do with him. She thinks he broke a promise and… I'm not even sure what is going on. Cloud said Aerith sent him letters but he never got a single one."

Tifa gasped. "But… didn't you once tell me that…"

"That those enrolled in SOLDIER are not allowed contact during training…"

"Zack you have to tell Aerith this. If she doesn't stop Cloud now she'll regret it."

Zack looked down, "But…"

"She loves him."

Zack looked stunned, "Wait what?"

"Zack you and Cloud may be oblivious but I'm not. Aerith wants to be with him and gives herself every reason not to be because she's afraid of being abandoned. Aerith had no one to help her for so long until she met me. Zack, please you have to explain to Aerith."

"Will she even listen to me?" Zack asked.

Suddenly, Zack felt a hand tug on the corner of his shirt. He looked down at Roxas.

"Uncle Zack," he said. "Look what I found."

The blonde twin held up the ring Cloud threw earlier in his rage.

"Can I have it?"

Zack snatched the ring out of the boy's hand, causing a annoyed "hey, that's mine," to be said.

"I think… if this is what Cloud says it is… I think Aerith might just listen."

Zack dashed out of the place, Tifa ran to the door. "What is it?"

"A promise!"

Aerith sat at her vanity. Her eyes were puffy and her hair was hanging loose. She did not want to fight with Cloud anymore. She just wanted him to understand how she moved on. She figured she got her point across.

Yet, why did it have to hurt so much. Aerith held her head in her hand, her fingers tightening around her brown locks. She tugged at her hair in frustration.

Only a moment later there was a pounding on her door. It startled the girl, she wiped the tears from her face and headed for the door. She expected the person at the door was Cloud, ready to yell at her for some reason but when she opened the door and saw Zack at her doorstep, she was surprised.

"Zack, what are you doing here?" she asked but then began to panic. "Oh my god, are the twins all right?"

"They're fine and with Tifa," Zack explained quickly. "I'm not here for them. I'm here to talk about Cloud."

Aerith let out a frustrated noise. "I don't need to explain myself. I told Cloud I don't need him and he needs to accept that and not tell you to come here and talk on his behalf."

"I'm not here on his behalf. I'm here to tell you that you are making a huge mistake."

"Don't start telling me that I should be with him because I don't."

"He's leaving."

Aerith eyes widened slightly but then she turned away. "Figures, now I have to explain to Sora and Roxas why their father abandoned them, just like he abandoned me."

"Cut the crap Aerith." Zack said, surprising the girl. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself because of something that happened years ago. Move on already!"

"Don't tell me to move on," Aerith fumed. "Cloud broke his promise to me!"

"You broke your promise to him!"

"You don't even know what I'm talking about."

"Or do I?" Zack said pulling out the wolf ring. He held it out to Aerith. Aerith froze, eyes fixated on the ring. She felt her heart stop for moment. Slowly she reached out and took the ring, examining it.

"Where did you get this…?"

"Cloud," Zack answered.

Aerith voice wavered, "He still had…"

"He was still _wearing_ it," Zack confirmed. "He never took it off."

Aerith heart slammed into her chest. Cloud was still wearing it, even after all these years?

"But… it's been so long… what… why?"

"He loves you." Zack answered the obvious reason. "He never stopped loving you."

Aerith shut her hand around the ring. "But… but…"

"The letters" Zack guessed.

"How do you…?"

"Cloud never received them because when someone is recruited into SOLDIER they are not allowed any form of contact from friends of family until basic training is done and they pass to 3rd class. Cloud took a lot longer to make it into 3rd class, which is why by the time he made it the letters you were writing stopped coming."

"Why would they do that?"

"Because, Cloud would have left SOLDIER. Once you make it to 3rd class you are signed into finish out your services."

The news was shaking Aerith.

"Aerith, Cloud never intentially meant to hurt you."

"But…"

"Don't make excuses you love him and if you don't go after him now then you are going to lose your chance forever. Aerith go after him, please!"

Aerith clutched the ring to her, crying. She then bolted from her spot and into her bedroom. Zack looked dumbfounded and ran into her room. He found the girl digging through her jewelry box, scattering all sorts of things until she came to the one piece of jewelry she was looking for.

"Where is he?" she asked.

"The train station, he's going back home. Come on let's hurry. We might make it in time to catch him."

Zack grabbed Aerith's hand and dragged her out of the room after him. The two ran down to where Zack's motorcycle was. The two climbed on and Zack quickly bolted from his spot after he started. Aerith clutched onto Zack with one hand, while her other hand clutched to the two objects in her hand. She took a brief glimpse at them and then clutched back onto Zack, making sure she would not fall off.

_Cloud, please don't leave me_.

X, X, X,

Author Note- I'm sure many of you thought I was never going to update again. Yes, I know I took forever but after my old computer crashed and lost everything, I was so upset that I found it nearly impossible to write. I was also under a lot of stress but now everything is better. Thanks for reading.


	10. This Time I Run to You

**The Promise Rings**

**Chapter 10**

**This Time I Run to You**

Cloud stood on platform 7, waiting for his train to pull up. In his hand he had a one way ticket back to Nibelheim. He was sick of Midgar to the point that it made him want to explode on the next thing that set him off. Perhaps the refreshing scenery of his old home would do him better than the steel scenery of this place. Maybe then, he could forget all the pain he went through.

He sighed sadly. Maybe things were just not meant to be. What could he do anyways? Aerith rejected him. Yet, as he came to think about it, he was now unintentionally hurting his sons. Cloud sighed even heavier and sadder. He only hoped he would someday make it up to Sora and Roxas and that they would forgive him.

"Their birthdays are in a few weeks," he reminded himself aloud. "I never asked the exact date… I guess I'll just send them something."

It was a pathetic way to make up his disappearance to his sons but maybe one day he would return when he finally purged his feelings for his ex-girlfriend and could look her in the eyes without falling in love with her all over again.

A train whistle sounded. Cloud looked up as the train screeched to a halt and stood before him. The doors slid open and the conductor stepped out to announce the arrival of the train and the next departure time, which would be in fifteen minutes. Cloud gathered up his things and waited for the passengers to exit before entering the train.

Elsewhere, riding down the busy roads of Midgar, Zack Fair was zigzagging his way through the heavy traffic on his motorcycle. Aerith clutched to him, silently urging him to go faster and yet to be careful. She trusted Zack and in his ability to drive, but to do something reckless and end up in the hospital days before his wedding, she would never forgive herself. Not to mention Tifa would pummel them both into the ground for ruining the most special day of her and Zack's life. Aerith rather not have to face her best friend's fury.

Zack's bike screeched to a halt as they came to a huge line of cars, blocking the exit that Zack had to take to the train station.

"Damn it," Zack cursed. "We're going to be stuck here for a while."

"But Cloud could be getting onto a train as we speak!" Aerith protested. "Is there any way around this?"

"Even if I could the next exit would cause to backtrack and it would take at least an hour." Zack replied.

Aerith ripped off the helmet she was wearing and shoved to Zack before getting off the bike. Zack looked at her bewildered.

"What are you doing?" he questioned in alarm.

"If I don't reach Cloud now I may never get another chance. If I know Cloud… if he is still the same Cloud as back then I won't find him if he leaves Midgar. Cloud could always find me when I was upset but when he wanted to be left alone I couldn't find him no matter how hard I tried. I cannot risk losing him… not again."

"But it will take you forever to get there!" Zack exaggerated.

However, Aerith already began to run. "It's faster than waiting for this traffic to continue moving."

Her voice was faint back Zack could hear it. He smiled at her and silently wished her luck. He hopes she would make it in time before Cloud did something he would regret.

Aerith sprinted down the streets toward the train station. Aerith remembered the times she used to run away from Cloud, running away from him with all her might. Funny, how after all her running away she was now running to him. All she could think about was having Cloud be a part of her family now. No longer would she run, she would face him and finally they would be together. That is if Cloud still wanted her.

Aerith arrived at the train station amidst a crowd of people trying to get through the entry way. Aerith tried her best to push through the crowd of people but found them reluctant to allow her to pass. She cursed mentally using her tiny body to slip through the crowd, between small passages between people. Finally, when she arrived at the platform with the only train waiting, Aerith scanned the area to find no trace of Cloud.

Fear washed over her. What if he was already gone? Hoping she was wrong, she ran toward the train, hoping to spot them through the windows since the conductor would refuse her entry onto the train unless she had a ticket. Aerith looked through the first couple of windows when the conductor sounded.

"Train number 761; bound of Nibelheim will be leaving in five minutes!"

Aerith looked back at him, wishing there would be some delay. Aerith continued her search, peering through windows and hoping that if Cloud was on this train, the cabin he was in was on this side of the train and not the other.

Then a familiar blond, spiky hair appeared in a window. Aerith sucked in a sharp breath as she saw Cloud sitting near the window, looking off in the distance. Her heart slammed into her, remembering the last time she met Cloud at the train station. The last time, she could not stop him from leaving her. She only hoped this time would be different. Clutching her hands tightly, she could feel two objects in her hands, digging into her palm. She ran to him shouting loudly.

"CLOUD!"

Cloud, who was sitting in his seat, lost in his thoughts did not hear Aerith's call. He did, however, when he looked out the window and saw her familiar pink bow and pink ensemble appear like a sore thumb in the midst of people dressed in grays and other muted colors. The blond haired man looked in shock.

Why was she here? Was his mind playing tricks on him? Was this a dream?

Cloud opened the window to his cabin and poked his head out, hands against the edge. He stared wide eye at the girl, who was nearing him.

"Cloud!" she cried, her breathing laboring.

Aerith nearly collapsed to the ground in front of his windows from exhausting. Her legs were burning from all the running, sweat beaded down her face, her face was red, and the distress in her eyes burned into Cloud's own eyes.

"What… What are you doing here?" he asked.

"Cloud, don't go! I don't want you to go!"

Cloud looked away, too hurt by her words. Why now anyways? She made it perfectly clear that she did not want to be with him. Was it for their children? Was it some brilliant lie to keep Sora and Roxas happy? Cloud turned away from her, the very idea hurt too much. His heart could not take it.

"Stop it," Cloud said sternly. "I'm done Aerith. I don't want to be a part of your life."

The words stung Aerith straight into the heart. She shook her head and felt tears forming in her eyes.

"No, Cloud, please don't say that. I don't want you to go!" Aerith cried. "I want you to stay here."

"Not after what you put me through." Cloud replied. "Go home to our kids. They need their mother."

Cloud dismissed her and began to return to his seat. The tears in Aerith's eyes began to fall. She could not lose Cloud. Not after all this. Not after knowing the truth. Without hesitating, Aerith pulled her arm back and launched the two items in her hands at Cloud. The sored through the open window, one smacked Cloud in the cheek while the other zoomed past him and landed on the floor.

Startled, Cloud leaned down and picked the item that hit him. It was the wolf ring that Aerith had given him and that he discarded earlier when he stormed out of Tifa's bar. The second, he found after searching on the floor was a silver colored ring, which began fading over the years, in the shape of a flower with a pink jewel in the center. Cloud's heart tightened in his chest. It was the ring he swore upon that when he was able to afford a real ring he would marry her.

Cloud spun around and returned to the window to see Aerith looking up at him with uncertainty. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she clutched a hand to her chest.

"The ring… you kept it?' he questioned, although the answer obvious.

"I waited for you Cloud. I did write you letters, letters that told you everything but once Roxas and Sora were born I stopped because I believed you didn't care for me anymore. Zack told me the truth that new recruits in SOLDIER were barred from having outside contact until they made it to third class. I know I said terrible things Cloud but… I was all alone for so long that… I wanted you to return every day. Yet, it was so long that when I did see you… I was afraid that you would disappear again and hurt our children… hurt me…"

Aerith looked down, more tears flowing freely. Cloud reached out to her, touching her face.

"If I had known, I would have come back for you. I would have been there for you!" Cloud confessed sincerely. "I love you more than anything Aerith. I love you, I love our children and I want nothing more than to be with you."

Aerith looked at him, her heart melting by his words. "I never stopped loving you Cloud and I'm sorry for what I did to you. I'm sorry for hurting you."

"I know why you did," he replied. "Let's start over, Aerith. This time we can make it right."

Aerith nodded, reaching up to touch his hand.

Suddenly, the whistle sounding and the train began to move. Cloud gasped. "I have to get off this train!"

Aerith stared at him as the train slowly began to move away. Cloud cursed loudly, realizing there would be no way for him to get off the train.

"Aerith!" he called out desperately as the train began to pull away. "I'll come back for you! I promise. Please wait for me!"

Aerith smiled, remembering those lines from so many years prior. She looked at him and nodded.

"Cloud, I'll wait for you…" she called as the train took him away from her again.

Aerith wiped the tears from her face, remaining rooted at her spot until the train was no longer in sight.

"I've been waiting for you Cloud," she whispered. "Because I promised to wait for you…. Forever."

**Epilogue**

**This New Promise**

Golden bells ring loudly; alerting those outside of the grand church of the matrimonial ceremony has come to an end. The large twin doors open as the bride and groom rush hand in hand down the steps as they are gently pummeled with assortment of various colored flower petals. Friends and family cheered as they rushed through the path the crowd parted for them.

At the top of the stoop Sora and Roxas are throwing handfuls of flowers they had been anxiously waiting to throw at the couple since their mother had instructed them to do so after the couple was married. The two twins, dressed in their own little tuxedos, cheered as loud as they could, wanting their "aunt" and "uncle" to hear them above the rest.

Behind them, leaning against the doorway, their mother watched smiling at their antics. Her hair flowed in a mass of curls with a single rose decorating her hair. She watched as the newly couple reached the awaiting car that would take them to the reception at the 7th Haven.

Lost in her thoughts, Aerith did not see a person approach her from behind. He stood behind her for a moment before placing a hand gently along on the small of her back. Aerith turned, slightly startled by the gesture. However, her eyes softened immediately as she found herself staring into a pair of beautiful sapphire orbs. Her eyes averted to the ground, cheeks becoming a faint hint of pink.

"It was a beautiful wedding," Aerith said.

Cloud smiled, taking her left hand into his right and bringing it up to his lips. Aerith looked at him becoming embarrassed even more so.

"It was hard for me to pay attention," Cloud admitted. "I was too busy looking at you."

"I noticed," Aerith muttered. "Oh, we should hurry to Tifa's place and make sure everything is ready for the reception."

Cloud nodded. He then dropped his right hand to his side but did not release Aerith's hand. Aerith looked out over the crowd as they waved to Zack and Tifa as they drove off.

Cloud pondered something. "Do you think…? I can make you happy like that?"

Aerith gave Cloud a loving and gentle smile. He felt her squeeze his hand. He looked down at her hand, where two rings rested on her finger. One ring was in the shape of a flower, obviously plastic, and another in the shape of a wolf which was also plastic.

"You already do." She whispered. "Your promise, remember when you returned was that you would never leave me again and you gave me your wolf ring."

Cloud smiled, "but I have one more promise to keep the one that comes with the flower ring I gave you."

Cloud took her left hand and placed something within it. Aerith looked down and sucked in a sharp breath. Lying in her palm was a single white gold ring with a heart shape diamond in the center. Aerith looked up at Cloud, almost in tears. Cloud leaned forward, kissing her. When they broke apart, Cloud looked into her emerald orbs and smiled gently.

"I promised you didn't I?" he asked. "I promised to marry you when I could afford a real ring."

"Cloud…" the brunette whispered.

"I made you wait long enough."

"Let's get married as soon as possible then."

"Anything for you."

Just then a flurry of petals flew at the couple. The two looked down to see their sons, their eyes radiating with happiness.

"Did you ask mom yet?" Sora asked.

"Did she say yes?" Roxas added.

"You two knew about this?" Aerith asked.

"Dad took us to pick out the ring." The twins announced. "We had to keep it a secret."

Aerith looked at Cloud and back at the twins. She was shocked that the two boys could keep a secret without blabbing, especially Sora who was such a chatterbox.

"Did you say yes?" Roxas asked.

Aerith smiled. "Yes, I did."

The twins cheered throwing the rest of their flower petals at their parents. Once that was done, they hugged their parents tightly. Cloud smiled and looked at Aerith.

"I promise to be a good father to them."

"I know you will."

"And…" he added gently cupping her face with one hand, "To love you forever."

Aerith blushed and leaned forward, kissing her fiancé. Cloud slipped an arm around Aerith's waist, holding her to him. Cloud felt at ease with his fiancée at his side. Knowing it only a few short weeks he would be calling her his wife. Then he would be fully a part of a family and fulfilling the new promise he made, to be a husband and a father to the people that mattered the most. For Aerith, she knew that whatever hardships would come, she would never have to face it anything alone again. For Sora and Roxas, they were just happy to have the two people that mattered most in their lives, together, forever because it was their promise.

**The End**

**Author note-** I know it took me long enough to finish and I'm pretty sure you are all happy I did. I'm grateful for all the reviews and those of you who have been patient with me to finish. Thank you!


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